Field Trip
by withah
Summary: After Neelix's departure, Chakotay decides to take a hand in the children's education and enlists the help of Seven of Nine. Of course, away missions seldom go as planned. C/7
1. Projectiles

**A/N I think we all felt there was an episode missing between "Renaissance Man" and "Endgame". This is my take on what it would have been :) This is my first story for this site, so please be gentle.**

* * *

Seven stiffened, the hairs at the back of her neck prickled in a way that she'd come to associate with something being out of place. She heard it before she saw it. A hoverball came whistling through the air towards her.

It would have hit her square in the face had her reflexes not been so sharp. As it was she moved her head aside barely in time. The ball bounded off her regeneration station harmlessly. She reached up a hand automatically and snatched it on its return trajectory. She blinked at the ball in her hand and then turned slowly, eyebrow arched, to address the originator, responsible for ending her regeneration cycle so abruptly.

"Naomi Wildman."

The girl was standing with her hands over her mouth directly in front of Seven's alcove, her expression mortified.

"Explain."

"It was my fault, Seven." Icheb stepped out of the shadows. Seven clearly wasn't alert as she'd thought, for she hadn't even seen him there.

"I requested Naomi demonstrate the rules of the game…"

"Inside the cargo bay?" Seven raised both eyebrows quizzically.

"All the holodecks are booked," Naomi said, recovering slightly.

"You should have been more careful." Seven said, "Were you not aware that I was here?"

"Well yes but…"

"I told her it wouldn't be a problem," Icheb said. "You were deep in your regeneration cycle already."

Seven saw uncertainty pass over his features.

"Indeed," she said.

She was all for him discovering his humanity. She did not wish to discourage him. Still…

"Still," she said, stepping down from the alcove, "someone could have been hurt."

That the someone she referred to was herself was painfully clear. She handed the ball back to Icheb.

"You should refrain from playing with projectiles indoors," she said.

"Yes, Seven," said Naomi.

"It won't happen again," said Icheb.

Seven left them without being quite certain where she was going. She was feeling annoyed, she analysed. But also somewhat out of sorts. She knew her cycle had ended prematurely and that might provide a possible explanation. Still, there was something more. She had the vague feeling she'd been somewhere… doing something… she stopped in her tracks. Had she been dreaming? She blinked. That was an intriguing idea. The Doctor had told her she was capable of it. But that had been when they'd mistaken her experience with Unimatrix Zero for a dream. A mere dream. She frowned slightly.

"Seven?"

She turned to find B'Elanna Torres standing behind her, eyeing her quizzically. No doubt she had seemed a strange sight, halted in the middle of the corridor as she had been. B'Elanna wrapped her arms around her swollen belly. The lieutenant looked strangely akin to the hoverball. Moreso daily.

"Is everything alright?" B'Elanna asked.

"Fine, Lieutenant."

Seven realised she was still standing in the middle of the corridor aimlessly. Now would be the time for some of that small talk she so detested.

"How is the 'parasite'?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

B'Elanna looked startled, then smirked, remembering Icheb's initial diagnosis of her pregnancy. She tapped her stomach.

"Stubborn," she resumed her movement down the corridor and Seven fell into step beside her.

A humorous retort would be appropriate, Seven knew, but she rejected the ones that occurred to her, fearing impropriety. Instead she simply raised her eyebrows.

"The due date was a few days ago," B'Elanna elaborated, "but the doctor thinks my human physiology is interfering and it could be another month before she's ready to show her face to the world."

"That must be… difficult," Seven said, guessing at the emotion behind B'Elanna's tone.

"You have no idea."

They stepped into a turbolift. It was only then that Seven realised she still wasn't certain where she was heading. It was still a few hours before her duty shift started. B'Elanna requested the mess hall. Seven nodded. She may as well. She would require nutrition in a few hours, it would be efficient to get it out of the way while she had the time.

B'Elanna leaned against the lift wall, "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we're starting a family. I love my daughter. But this pregnancy thing? Over-rated. I'd strongly recommend against it."

When Seven failed to say anything B'Elanna eyed her warily.

"It was a joke," she said.

Seven hadn't found it humorous. She fought down a surge of panic, searching for a correct response.

"I am sorry you are uncomfortable," she said.

B'Elanna inclined her head.

The turbolift stopped and, seemingly relieved, B'Elanna shuffled out. It seemed to Seven that she was putting an incredible amount of effort into walking with dignity. Pregnancy did indeed not seem at all pleasant. She reassured herself with the thought that it was unlikely to ever be a predicament she would find herself in. The thought brought less comfort than she'd initially anticipated however. Instead of examining the thought further she pushed it aside. She replicated her daily supplement and found an empty, out of the way, table to dine at.

She noticed B'Elanna had joined her husband and Ensign Kim and they were laughing easily. She pushed away the thought that the subject of their humorous interchange might be her, Seven. She hadn't said or done anything to warrant that. At least as far as she was aware. Not this time.

Her attention was jerked away from her analysis of their exchange by the sound of her name. She looked up and found Commander Chakotay standing over her, holding a tray with his morning meal upon it.

"Mind if I join you?"

She felt panic rising again in her chest, but pushed it down and nodded politely. He took a seat opposite her. She noticed now that all the other tables were occupied. The morning rush, which she usually managed to avoid, was in full.

"How have you been?" Chakotay asked, unfolding his napkin. "I've hardly seen you since we got back."

She nodded again. The automatic response that came to mind was that she was functioning within normal parameters. Like a piece of equipment. But she bit her tongue. She'd been alone on a planet with him. She shouldn't still feel this uneasy. It had been almost two months since her experience with the holodeck. She had to put that behind her. She swallowed as he shifted uncomfortably. She looked down at her meal, still untouched. She couldn't get away without it seeming suspicious.

"I am fine, Commander," she said.

"Good," he said.

She ate. A response wouldn't be required if her mouth was full.

"I was looking over your report about the Ventu," Chakotay said good-naturedly as he cut into his toast. "You made some astute observations."

Was this small talk? Or the real reason he'd joined her?

"How do you mean?"

"You made notes on the structure of their society and the nature of their values far beyond what was expected of you in a simple mission report."

"I wished to be thorough," she said.

He took a sip of his drink. Seven noticed the easy way he moved, with fluidity and confidence. She reined the line of thought in before her mind could drift down avenues she'd forbidden.

"I was impressed," he said.

She was still warring over what to say in response when he continued.

"Do you have an interest in anthropology?"

She considered his question carefully. She knew it was a subject he was deeply interested in. She had heard his stories, his dreams, in the holodeck. She could not confide to him now how his passion had ignited her own curiosity about the subject.

"I am uncertain," she said at length. "I find that my examination of my own humanity and my surroundings has led to a basic interest in how societies function and individuals develop. Is this what you refer to?"

He nodded, wiping his chin with the napkin. "If you like, I'd be willing to expose you to some of the core concepts. You may find you take to it. I have a couple of programs on the holo-"

Seven had stood before she'd even been aware of the intention.

"That won't be necessary," she said by way of explanation.

He seemed alarmed, "Did I say something to offend you?"

"No." She said quickly. "I am… due in Astrometrics."

She made to leave but he grabbed her arm. "I was under the impression that you had an afternoon shift today?"

She should have known better than to try and lie to the man who'd compiled the duty roster. She could hear blood rushing in her ears. It was alarming.

"I… I have some extra work I'd like to complete."

"You've been putting in a lot of extra hours," Chakotay noted, still holding on to her arm. His eyes were boring in to hers, as if he was trying to read her thoughts. She swallowed.

"I was not aware that being a dedicated worker was considered a crime," she said coolly.

A few years ago the comment would have deflected him easily. Now his expression barely changed. "There's a difference between working hard and being a drone," he said.

She knew he was aware of the effect the word would have on her. She blinked rapidly.

"Please let go of me."

He dropped his grip immediately.

"I'm sorry," he said, that familiar warmth saturating his voice. "I only meant that you should consider doing more with your time than simply working. There's more to being human than –"

"Please commander," Seven snapped despite herself. She was feeling trapped. "I am well aware of what it means to be human."

Especially after her experiences on the holodeck. The obvious venom in her words seemed to startle him.

"You're right. You've been here long enough. You're your own person."

She nodded curtly to him, and then left. She saw Tom Paris's eyes follow her as she exited the mess hall and wondered if he'd heard some of the exchange. No doubt it would give the group more fodder for conversation.

Icheb was already at his station when Seven entered Astrometrics.

"I thought you were playing with Naomi," she said by way of greeting.

He glanced up from what he was doing. "You are still upset," he stated.

She was upset, but not with him. She knew she could have, and should have, handled her conversation with the commander better. He'd only been trying to reach out to her. He'd shown concern about her. It wasn't his fault she didn't know how to react to that. It wasn't his fault she'd plastered his face all over her fantasies.

To Icheb she said, "Tell me, would you walk into Lieutenant Torres's quarters while she was sleeping and start playing a game?"

She saw him flush slightly, colour rising beneath his pale skin. She looked at him appraisingly, waiting for an answer.

"Of course not," he said.

"But you would not only come into the cargo bay where you know I'm regenerating, but encourage Naomi Wildman to do so?"

She saw him duck his head. "It was inconsiderate of me," he said softly.

"Yes." Seven said, her eyes returning to the star charts in front of her.

* * *

_Edit: just changed the name of the final episode, my memory failed me first time. Chapter content remains exactly the same. _


	2. Hypothesis

Seven hadn't expected things to go the way they had. Her "research" in the holodeck had been just that. At first she had been inspired by The Doctor's use of the technology, creating for herself a small drawing room with a piano to practice her playing. She had found it in the ship's database and had hardly customised it.

Then, one day, as she'd played, she'd glimpsed her reflection in the shining surface of the piano. It had disturbed her. Her glaring implants, her constricting hairdo, her gleaming biosuit had seemed at odds with the relaxed atmosphere of the room. On a whim, she'd changed them all. She'd watched her reflection as she'd played. She'd seen herself, for the first time, completely human. Completely _her_. The Seven who had been so accepted as part of the community in Unimatrix Zero.

And then she had mused: what might happen if she could appear like this always? How would the crew interact with her? How would it change her interactions with them to be able to walk among them, as one of them? That had been her first mistake. She should have known that could never happen and left well enough alone. Instead she had taken the hypothesis: If I looked more human I could be more human. And she had tested it. And she had found it to be true.

She had never programmed the Chakotay holocharacter to be romantically interested in her. She had simply played a few scenarios. She had taken events that had really happened, recorded on the internal sensors, and analysed them with a scientist's keen eye. Then she'd inserted herself into them. Not as she had been, but rather as she should have been.

At Lieutenant Paris's "double feature" she'd neglected to take her place at the back with The Doctor, where she had examined the popcorn suspiciously and walked out early, declaring the experience "pointless". Instead she'd seated herself further forward. She had instructed the holodeck to compensate for her ocular implant and show the film as it would have appeared had she seen like any other human. She had, in the privacy of her holoprogram, delighted in the outlandish old Earth attempts at creating a holographic "3D" effect, at the terrible, terrible acting displayed. She had caught Chakotay's eye. He'd been at the end of the row next to Neelix, who'd been clutching his seat in abject terror. The commander had been chuckling not at the movie but at the Talaxian. And then Seven had been too. That shared laugh, across the cinema, had been the second mistake.

He had caught her afterwards as she was leaving and they had shared a brief conversation about quaint old Earth rituals and Tom Paris's taste.

"This used to be a traditional first date," the Chakotay hologram had quipped. Seven had raised her eyebrows.

"Did it often lead to a second date?" she'd asked, genuinely incredulous.

He had smiled, his eyes had creased and sparkled. That had been the first time she'd noticed how they did that.

"Apparently so," he'd said.

She should have left it at that. Even at the time, as she had watched him and the rest of the crew leave the room, she had known that. But she convinced herself she hadn't fully tested her hypothesis yet. She needed more evidence.

Perhaps she'd wanted evidence that she'd been wrong. Evidence that could disprove her hypothesis. And so instead of playing out a social scene, her next test was an ordinary day. A day that started in the mess hall – for it felt unrealistic to start it with a regeneration cycle. This day she was fully human, after all. She decided to continue on with the previous program – she had to measure over time for the experiment to be successful, she reasoned. That was her third mistake. If she had started an entirely new scenario, the holograms would have interacted with her no differently from how the crew did on a day-to-day basis. It would have been impossible to build new relationships, form new completely unrealistic bonds

As she came away from the replicator, Tom Paris waved to her from his seat beside B'Elanna, calling her over.

"Seven, perhaps you can settle this for us," he began without preamble. "My wife here believes that The Creature from the Black Lagoon is not at all scary under any circumstances."

Seven quirked her head slightly. He was clearly referring to the film they had watched as part of the double feature. Feeling the freedom that came with knowing one's actions have no consequences, Seven answered honestly.

"I believe she is correct."

B'Elanna slammed the table in victory, "I told you."

"What!" Tom seemed astonished. "Come now, you can't honestly tell me you didn't get chills down your spine when it's stalking her," he put on a deep, dramatic, voice "… under water… just about to grab her… she doesn't see it… it's only inches away…"

He made a grab for B'Elanna who squealed.

"Ah! You see!"

She punched his arm.

"If you are looking for a… comrade," Seven suggested to Tom, "You might wish to enlist the help of Mr Neelix."

She looked up at the counter where the Talaxian was busy dishing out food. The sound of his name drew his attention. Seven continued, "If I recall, he was practically climbing under the seat in front of him."

A grin began to spread across Tom's face. "Is this true?" he asked Neelix.

The cook waved a hand and began to argue.

"It's true," said a voice at Seven's ear. "I can attest to it."

She spun to find the Chakotay hologram standing behind her, holding his tray. He seemed to be battling to keep a straight face. His lips were slightly pursed. His dimples, however, belied him. And laughter danced clearly in his eyes.

"Well…" Neelix said. "I'm not as… desensitised… to your human entertainment as most of you might be. My idea of a good story involves daring adventure and overcoming of difficult obstacles. And happy endings."

"It did have a happy ending!" Tom said defensively. "The girl was saved!"

"After her colleagues were savagely mauled," Neelix said. Tom nodded as if he'd made a very good point.

"Coming or going?" Chakotay asked Seven. She blinked, registering his meaning.

"Coming."

"Me too. We should find a seat."

She had nodded slowly and followed him to an empty table, all the while thinking how odd this was… and somehow pleasant. She remembered when she'd first joined the crew, when all of them had been alienated by her… except a handful. She remembered how surprised she'd been when Tom and Harry had shown her kindness. She thought the crew had changed, but now she felt that same sense of surprise return. There was an old Earth story that Icheb had told her during his studying of Earth anecdotes. It was a horrible story, which is probably why she remembered it. It was about a frog that was boiled alive. It had been convinced not to jump out of the water because the heat had been turned up so gradually that the frog had not been aware it was cooking until it was too late. She found herself wondering, as she followed the holographic commander to the table and sat down opposite him, if she had become the frog. Yes, people's attitudes toward her had changed… but how much had they really changed versus her just becoming accustomed to them? Here on the holodeck their attitudes were warm and inclusive. Here, on the holodeck, she looked like one of them.

She swallowed a lump in her throat at the thought and the holographic Chakotay mistook it.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." This may have been the holodeck, but she was no more fond of small talk here.

"How are you adjusting to life without the implants?" Chakotay asked conversationally.

She had programmed in that they had been removed recently, so that the holograms did not act surprised to find her this way. She inclined her head.

"It is… different."

"I can imagine," Chakotay said, and he unfolded his napkin and smiled warmly. "No more excessive strength and enhanced vision? You're a mere mortal now."

"A condition which is under-rated to say the least," she commented thoughtfully.

"Oh?"

She had no idea why she felt the need to open up to the hologram. Perhaps it was precisely because it was a mere hologram.

"When the Captain first separated me from the collective, I remember her promising that I would become part of a human collective. I believe her word was "community". Up until now, I have not particularly felt like a part of the community."

She looked up and found his expression clouded.

"Don't misunderstand me, Commander. I have felt… welcome. I have felt useful, needed even. But different."

"All birds, even those of the same species, are not alike," Chakotay said.

"I do not follow."

"It's an old saying of my people." He leaned in, the way he always did when he spoke about 'his people'. The North American Indians. "The spirits do not create any two beings alike. Our purpose is to be independent individualities."

He smiled warmly. "We're all individuals, Seven. I have tattoos. You had Borg implants. We're all unique in our own way. I shouldn't have to point that out to you, of all people."

"It's not the same," she said quietly. "You… you're all alike in basic ways. You sleep, you don't regenerate. You don't have to visit sickbay weekly to have your machinery aligned. You…"

And touched her hand then, stopping her mid-sentence. His hand was warm. She had to consciously remind herself she was only speaking to a projection of light, an image wrapped around a force field.

"I understand it's been difficult," Chakotay said. "But that's all behind you now."

She blinked at him and then muttered, "Computer, end program."

There'd been a beep and she had stood as the holodeck lines formed around her and the commander disappeared. She'd wiped a hand over her face, regaining her composure. She had decided then and there that enough was enough. She'd straightened her back and walked out.

She'd returned, however.

Despite all her best intentions.


	3. Experiments

**A/N: I may have made up entirely new rules for hoverball... I tried to find out the real rules, but both Memory Alpha and Memory Beta failed me so I had to use a bit of artistic license. This is the second "flashback" to Seven's holographic experiments. We resume normal programming after this :)**

* * *

Seven had had every intention of abandoning her experiment completely. It had been more difficult than she'd anticipated, being treated so differently from how she normally was. In the end, though, it was her curiosity that was her undoing.

Standing in Astrometrics, analysing star charts, Seven's mind had wandered.

How might a lack of implants really affect her life? Aside from her relationships with members of the crew, it would mean no more biosuits, no more regeneration. She'd visit The Doctor, but only as a friend. To sing, to listen to him enthuse about golfing or whatever other hobby had taken his fancy. Not for maintenance.

While this reality was denied to her at present, it wasn't in the holodeck.

So she'd found herself outside the doors of Holodeck 2 that evening, after her duty shift had ended, and she'd taken a deep breath and entered.

She'd positioned herself as she had been before and continued.

"I understand it's been difficult," Chakotay said again. "But that's all behind you now."

At least as far as this scenario was concerned. She nodded, mutely.

"If you ever need to talk…" the hologram smiled warmly.

A thought randomly occurred to Seven and she was smirking before she could control herself.

"Care to let me in on the joke?"

"I was… just remembering something."

"Oh?"

Again the freedom of the holodeck was liberating. With a small smile and a candid raise of her eyebrow she said, "You once tried to blow me out of an airlock."

He tilted his head, the dimples appearing, "what does that have to do with anything?"

She shrugged. "Nothing. I just… find it amusing how far we've come in three years."

Something about her wording seemed to pique his interest, for his gaze became more focused. She ran the words through her mind again, trying to isolate her misstep.

"We certainly have come a long way," he said softly, still looking at her. She broke eye-contact, her gaze falling to her unfinished meal.

"You've hardly eaten," he noted quietly.

"I'm not particularly hungry," she said.

"I should get to the bridge," he said. "I'm on duty in a few minutes."

She examined his face, trying to find a trace that he was making an excuse to remove himself from her presence. She found none. Rather, he seemed to be waiting for something.

"You may go, Commander. Please don't let me keep you."

She knew at once, by his expression, that wasn't the response he'd been waiting for. She felt at a loss as he nodded and rose from his seat. He'd already stepped away from the table when he paused.

"Do you play hoverball at all, Seven?" He asked.

Her brow furrowed. "I have done so, on occasion. The Captain is fond of the game. Why?"

"I thought you might like to join me. I seem to have lost my usual partner to our pilot," Chakotay's eyes moved to where B'Elanna and Tom were still sitting lost in conversation.

"When?" She asked.

"Tonight? I get off at seventeen hundred hours."

She'd agreed to join him. Then she had gone to find the necessary equipment. Instead of her biosuit, Seven had instructed the computer to dress her in the loose-fitting gymnastic attire she'd observed others on the crew wear for the game. If she'd had all her implants removed, she reasoned, there'd be no need to wear the specialised clothing that The Doctor had designed for her. She transferred the Chakotay hologram to a separate file, so she could import him into the hoverball court, and set parameters so he'd believe he was meeting her at their appointed time and he'd be dressed appropriately.

Once she'd fitted the antigrav unit and set the ball spinning in the centre of the court, she'd taken a deep breath.

"Computer, activate Chakotay simulation,"

And then he'd been there, standing in his gym clothes with a hand on his hip and his eyes narrowed. She knew the expression. It was the same one he used on the bridge, usually in conjunction with the words, "Photon torpedos, full spread. Fire on my mark."

She wasn't intimidated. In fact, she decided she should probably go easy on him. She was a "mere mortal" in this scenario after all.

It didn't take long for him to realise that she was holding back. It also didn't take her long to realise she didn't have to. He was an accomplished player – moving across the court with the speed and grace of a dancer. She had to admire his skill, and yet the competitive streak in her – the one that constantly strived for perfection – couldn't allow him to best her at this simple game.

After he'd scored his fifth point, she grit her teeth. Angles and trajectories worked themselves out in her mind. She saw the ball, flying across to the other side of the court, Chakotay pushing off after it, but she crouched down and waited. The ball bounded against the opposite wall just before Chakotay caught it and then Seven leapt, using her strength to gain momentum in the antigrav.

Chakotay didn't stand a chance. He was still turning, stretching out for the ball, when Seven reached it and smacked it out of his grasp, sending it whizzing across the court and straight into her goal. His eyes widened in surprise as Seven pushed off the holodeck wall beside him and zoomed past to score another goal. Then he seemed to snap out of it and chased after her. The next goal was his. He reached Seven as her fingers brushed the ball, but he grabbed her other arm, swinging her back away from it. Of course the action changed his own trajectory too, but he was quicker to recover and reached the ball before she could, hitting it into his goal. Seven could see he was panting, sweat already glistening over his skin. She was surprised at her body's response to that image. Her heart began beating faster, her breathing quickened. She could have lied to herself and said it was because of the exercise, but she never lied on principle. Curious.

Her distraction cost her the next goal too. She came back to the present moment as the computer declared the point. Chakotay noticed something was off and turned to check on her. The ball, meanwhile, flew over both their heads and hovered between them, taunting them

Seven's eyes met Chakotay's. She knew if she gave chase first, the ball would fly over to his side of the court to escape her. However, if more than a split second passed between him lifting off and her pursuing, he could hit the ball back to his side of the court and straight into a goal before she even caught up. She knew from the careful way he was watching her that he must have been thinking the same thing. His eyes seemed darker than they usually did, his gaze was far more intense. She looked up at the ball and then back at him. He was still looking at her in that way.

She'd have to make the first move.

Or at least appear to make it.

Without warning she suddenly moved her arm up, as if she was about to jump. He fell for it, shooting up at the ball, realising too late that he'd been tricked. The ball came towards her and she leapt, just in time to intersect it and hit it into her goal.

The unforeseen side effect of this victory was that she didn't only manage to intersect the ball, but Commander Chakotay too. He'd been unable to change his course as she'd shot upwards and as a result came careening into her. They'd tumbled to the ground, entangled in each other.

He landed on top of her, his weight knocking the air out of her lungs. For a moment his face hovered above hers and then he sat up, asking if she was okay. She was fighting to breathe and yet had the overwhelming compulsion to start laughing. Seeing this, he wiped a hand across his forehead and began to laugh too, rolling on to his back. They lay like that for some time, his laughing eventually died away and yet they continued to lie side-by-side, not touching, not speaking, just absorbing the silence and the stillness. The ball continued to hover above, in the middle of the room, but Seven had no desire to chase after it, even once she was able to breathe easily.

"I think I've won," Chakotay said eventually.

Seven rolled onto her side so she could look at him. He was staring up at the hoverball, head resting on his hand. His other hand was draped lazily over his stomach.

"No need to stop, Commander. I'm fine." Seven said.

He turned his head to her, "Who said I'm stopping because of you?"

"Are you damaged?" She asked, sitting up quickly, suddenly concerned.

"Nothing that a breather and a drink of water won't cure."

He was unaware of Seven transferring his simulation back into her experimental Voyager program, allowing them to share another meal in the mess hall.

Members of the holographic crew eyed them with interest. Chakotay seemed completely unaware, regaling Seven with stories of hoverball games he'd played in his childhood, of the time B'Elanna had insisted on playing despite having a broken ankle. She'd listened, eating quietly and occasionally smiling softly.

He walked her back to the cargo bay and told her how much he'd enjoyed the game.

"I went easy on you this time," she deadpanned. "Next time you won't be as lucky."

"Oh is that so?" he said. He was useless at the deadpan, she noted. He'd have to work on hiding his dimples for it to be more effective. She might tell him that someday, she mused. Then she felt herself blush and broke eye contact hurriedly. No, she most certainly wouldn't mention the commander's dimples to him.

Instead she said, "A rematch. Tomorrow. When does your duty shift end?"

The Doctor was always encouraging her to get a healthy dose of exercise, she reasoned.

If Chakotay was taken aback by her frankness, he certainly didn't give any indication. Instead, a smile spread across his face. "I have a night shift."

She quirked an eyebrow, "A likely excuse."

"Oh no, you're not getting out of it that easily. I merely meant we may have to book some holo time the morning after."

"That can be arranged."

"Aren't you on duty?"

Without missing a beat, she paused the program and adjusted its parameters so that she wasn't. Then she resumed.

"No, I have that time available. To – "she smiled, "I believe the correct expression is 'kick your ass'".

He threw his head back and laughed at that.

"You find me amusing?"

"Take it as a compliment," he assured her. "I'll see you Wednesday then, 07h00?"

"07h00," she confirmed.

She watched him walk away, waiting until he'd completely disappeared from view before she ended the program and went to regenerate.

* * *

Getting time in the holodecks on Voyager was more of a challenge than Seven had first anticipated. She found, however, that if she waited until the middle of the night shift she could almost always get a slot. She could remain functional without regeneration much longer than most humanoids could without sleep. Slowly, without her realising, that holodeck time had become far more important to Seven then regenerating.

She'd met the Chakotay hologram the next night, for their appointed game. It had been a tie, but she'd maintained that if he hadn't snagged her ankle and pulled her, unceremoniously, away from a very near goal, she would have in fact beaten him. He'd insisted they'd have to play again to see about that.

Seven had heard hoverball described as a high contact sport, but she was almost certain that Chakotay's version involved more contact than was strictly necessary. He'd clearly taken to the game the same way he'd taken to command: as a Maquis, willing to get his hands dirty to accomplish what had to be done. It was therefore understandable that B'Elanna was his chosen opponent. Seven couldn't imagine the captain abiding pushing, shoving, crashing and ankle pulling. The games Seven had played with Janeway had been stimulating, but they had involved a strict set of rules, the threat of penalties and misdemeanours for uncomely conduct. Janeway was far better suited to Velocity.

The next game that Seven played with the holographic Chakotay, she'd been sure to take the same approach as he did. It had been… exhilarating. Perhaps she had been spurred on by the fact that she knew she couldn't really hurt him. Perhaps it had been something more primal. She didn't question it. Who won and who lost ceased to matter, and yet it became everything. They would quip at each other, flinging insults across the court and afterwards, when their muscles pleaded for mercy and Seven's biosuit, under her holographic gym clothes, was wet with sweat, they'd slump down into holographic mess hall chairs and discuss the score – mostly how it had to be settled in the following game.

And while in that mess hall they would talk of other things too. Chakotay would delve into his experiences, his desires. He spoke about his passion for history – from palaeontology to his ancestors. He spoke about his fascination with people – from psychology to anthropology. Conversation was always light and easy-flowing. Seven already knew most of what he said from things he'd told her in the real world. The topics that he spoke on were pulled from the computer's database. The holographic Chakotay couldn't tell her what she really wanted to know – how he'd gone from a peace-loving genial Starfleet officer to a freedom fighter, what it had been like living as a rebel leader, what kinds of operations he'd been involved in, tasks he'd had to perform. She found herself wanting to know what drove him, what made him the individual he was.

Yet, knowing the hologram could never give her that was a source of comfort too. It kept her aware that whatever she may have started to feel towards the commander wasn't real. He was merely a two-dimensional character in a three-dimensional environment. He was a source of entertainment, a good method of practising her personal interactions. That was all. She told herself.

She hadn't lost sight of the rest of her experiment completely. She also created scenarios where she interacted with others in the crew. The holodeck had given her a chance to say things she'd been unable to say in real life. She told Neelix how much she appreciated his constant care and attention. He'd been the one who'd taught her how to eat and had provided companionship when she hadn't even known she'd wanted it. She told Ensign Kim how much it meant to her that he'd always treated her like a person, even when she'd still been mostly Borg. She had told the Captain how invaluable her guidance had been. She had lived out the fantasy of wearing a uniform like the rest of the crew did and having a space to call her own – her very own quarters. But it was the Commander who she'd invited to dinner the day she'd moved in. Her invitation had been clumsy and awkward, but he'd accepted. It had been the Commander that had brought her back to the holodeck, night after night. She'd started to find it difficult to concentrate on her duties, her mind constantly drifting forward to when she might see him again. She had hurried to the holodeck as soon as she'd had a spare minute and even, sometimes, when she hadn't.

She had grown addicted to him.

In truth she was grateful for the failsafe the Borg had built in to her. If not for it, who knows how much longer she would have continued that way? If that was what it was like having human relationships, she wanted none of it.


	4. Paradise

Chakotay was walking down the deck 8 corridor with half an eye on next week's duty roster. His mind, however, kept skipping back to the real problem: a lack of Neelix. He hadn't been lying when he'd told the female Talaxian that Neelix was the most versatile member of the crew. While the "chief cook and bottle washer" had never had duty shifts, per se, he had done an immense amount of behind-the-scenes work on board. Just how much was becoming increasingly apparent.

So absorbed was Chakotay in trying to solve the problem of who would take over the cataloguing of foodstuffs in cargo bay 1, that he almost walked into Seven of Nine, who'd just emerged from cargo bay 2. She looked startled, as if he'd just transported on board rather than making his way leisurely down the corridor.

"Good morning, Seven."

She nodded in greeting, "Commander."

She ducked her head and made to brush past him, but he stopped her with a light touch on her arm.

"Seven, I'm glad I ran into you. I wanted to apologise again for the other day."

Her brow creased as she looked up at him, "The other day?"

"In the mess hall. I know I was out of line telling you how to spend your time."

She inclined her head, "Apology accepted." Then she made to move away again.

"Seven!"

Chakotay spun and saw Ensign Samantha Wildman hurrying towards them down the corridor. The woman looked flushed.

Seven's eyebrows shot up, "Is something the matter, Ensign?"

"No, nothing." She sounded slightly out of breath as she caught up with them. She nodded a greeting to Chakotay.

"I just wanted to apologise."

"Seems to be the general theme of the hour," Seven quipped, her expression unchanging.

Chakotay smiled. She'd certainly developed a dry sense of humour.

Samantha continued as if she hadn't been interrupted, "I overheard Naomi and Icheb talking about what happened, with the hoverball. I just wanted to express how sorry I was. I'll have you know, I've given her a stern talking to. I wouldn't have expected that lack of consideration from her."

"It was only a minor inconvenience, Ensign. I assure you an apology is not necessary."

"All the same…"

"What happened?" Chakotay asked, intrigued. Samantha turned to him, her expression incredulous "Naomi and Icheb were playing hoverball in the cargo bay. While Seven was regenerating. The ball nearly hit her."

Seven was looking increasingly uncomfortable. "But it did not. So there is no need to fixate on the incident."

"No doubt it's been hard for them, since Neelix left," Chakotay said. "They're probably just bored."

"Oh I have no doubt of that," said Samantha. "But it's about common decency. That cargo bay is Seven's space."

"Hardly, Ensign," Seven said. "I assure you."

Later, when Chakotay was sitting on the bridge with a blank starscape stretching out in front of him, he found himself wondering why the exchange had had such an effect on him. It was true that the cargo bay was akin to a bedroom when Seven was regenerating, but when she wasn't it was still a cargo bay – a large space filled with containers. He knew she had a few possessions. Her biosuits, her tools and of course the blanket the Ventu girl had given her. He assumed she had them stashed away near her alcove. Other than that, the bay was hardly a personal space. In fact, he suddenly realised, Seven didn't exactly have _any_ personal space. There wasn't a place where she could go without the possibility that crewmembers could barge in at any time, uninvited. He wondered if that bothered her. From what she'd said to Samantha it didn't seem so. From her expressions, however, and her obvious discomfort at discussing the issue, perhaps it did. More disturbing to him was the fact that he'd never considered this question before. Perhaps Kathryn had. Perhaps she had addressed it back in the early days when she'd been putting hours into trying to cultivate Seven's humanity. Perhaps the question had come up and Seven had dismissed quarters and personal space as "irrelevant", an "inefficient use of resources," since she couldn't sleep in them and it's not like she had any hobbies.

Did she?

Again, he had to admit to himself that he just didn't know. He knew she played Velocity with Kathryn regularly. Kathryn had recently remarked how the student was beginning to surpass the master and the games had become intense and challenging. In terms of passions, he knew Seven liked working in Astrometrics. And Engineering. She liked work. But enjoying one's work was not the same as having a hobby. Even The Doctor had hobbies.

Chakotay was pulled from his reverie when the doors swished and Kathryn came striding on to the bridge. She was smiling as she nodded a greeting to the bridge officers and then sank into her seat beside him.

"Did you enjoy your coffee?" he asked her.

She laughed, "The Doctor has become quite a dear man. Hardly recognisable from the EMH who we were saddled with when we got here."

He smiled but said, "Perhaps I'll warm up to him once I've recovered from the indignity of being stashed in the morgue."

"Pun intended?" She asked, her eyes sparkling.

He inclined his head.

"Did I miss anything while I was gone?"

"Not much. Sensors have picked up an M-Class planet a few lightyears away. As far as we can determine it's unoccupied. It'd take us off course but there's an H II region nearby we might take the opportunity to get a look at."

"Did you really just suggest we change course to study a nebula?" Kathryn asked, "Who are you and what have you done with my first officer?"

He chuckled. There had been a time when the constant stopping to look at the local sights had frustrated Chakotay to no end. He'd been certain that a way home lay just around the next star system, that he'd be back fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with his people before they even missed him. The news that the Maquis had been all but eradicated had changed that, but he'd still been anxious to keep moving. He supposed it had only really been in the last year that he'd made peace with the fact that, in all likelihood, Voyager was his home. He might live to see the pale blue dot of Earth and the familiar races and planets he'd called home previously, but it would likely be in his last few years. He was still determined to try. He'd realised that a few days ago when The Doctor (masquerading as the Captain) had suggested they settle on a nearby planet. He'd also realised, though, over the years, that the journey was as important as the destination.

"The planet would give us an opportunity to gather supplies," he told Kathryn.

She nodded. "Agreed. Mr Paris, please change course."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

If one had to choose a word to describe this place, "pastoral" would do nicely Chakotay decided as he stood on an outcropping and surveyed the planet around them. Lush foliage bordered sweeping green hills. Some caves to the north had shown signs of possibly containing important minerals and they had been delighted to discover fruit trees baring something akin to apples that their tricorders had established would be safe to eat.

"It's like Eden, isn't it?" Tom asked, coming to stand beside him.

That would be another way to describe it, yes. Chakotay nodded. His badge chirruped and he tapped it, "Chakotay here."

B'Elanna's voice sounded, "We've been surveying those caves. You may want to see this."

Tom raised his eyebrows and Chakotay answered, "On my way."

They were still a few metres away, walking across a great green field, when Chakotay saw the reason B'Elanna had contacted him. She was sitting on a rock with a hand across her stomach, and she waved to them when she spotted them. Beside her was some kind of obelisk, standing only slightly taller than the average human. As they moved closer, Chakotay was able to see other ruins scattered around where she sat.

"Signs of life?" Tom commented.

"Long dead life I'd warrant," Chakotay said.

Tom greeted B'Elanna with a kiss and immediately started interrogating her about how she was feeling.

"Relax, Tom. I'm fine. Voyager can have me beamed to sickbay in a split second should I feel the pangs of labour." She stood up with purpose, showing him her toolkit. "Till then I'm more than happy to be surveying minerals."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Tom said.

"Never thought I'd go so long without an away mission. At this rate I'll take what I can get," B'Elanna quipped.

Chakotay meanwhile was enraptured by the obelisk. It reminded him vaguely of old Bajoran ruins he had once been shown. This kind of obelisk would mark the centre of an ancient market square. It had a row of holes the size of his thumb marching around it at eye-level. He saw there were vague etchings across the stone beneath that. He swiped a hand over them trying to remove sand and dust to get a clearer picture. He had a feeling it might once have been writing, though it had faded over the years.

He took out his tricorder and ran it over the stone.

"That's odd."

Tom came over to look, "Oh?"

"This rock is giving off energy readings," Chakotay said. "Just slight ones. There's no source that I can identify though."

"That's what lead me here," said B'Elanna. "I was trying to track down the source. There's probably some kind of power cell embedded in it. Like that monument we passed a few months back."

The one that had sent them all into PTSD over someone else's war.

"Doesn't this look a bit old to contain batteries?" he asked.

The engineer shrugged. "We've encountered stranger things."

Chakotay continued to walk the ruins, but there wasn't much else standing. There were a few piles of rocks that could have been anything from the remains of a structure to burial mounds. It seemed he'd only been exploring a few minutes when Tom patted him on the shoulder.

"Beam up time. Got to go investigate that nebula."

"Remind me why I suggested we do that?" Chakotay said with a sigh.

"Aw come on Commander," Tom said good-naturedly. "Never know what we'll find. Maybe it will contain… I dunno coffee?"

Chakotay chuckled. Neither of them would soon forget Janeway's exclamation when their sensors had picked up a nebula containing a possible fuel source for the replicators. "Set a course. There's coffee in that nebula."

They beamed back to the ship and as they were leaving the transporter room Chakotay overheard B'Elanna say how much she'd love to go back to the planet.

"I mean honestly," she said. "How often do we come across a planet that's both safe and pleasant? Seems to me we spend most of our time off-ship trekking through the desert looking for Leola root or we find a wonderful planet with plentiful supplies and somebody tries to kill us."

As they took the turbolift up to the briefing room where Kathryn was waiting to hear what they'd found, Chakotay commented, "You know, once upon a time I might have suggested we settle there. According to our charts this area of space isn't claimed by anyone. We could create a very nice life for ourselves on such a planet."

B'Elanna and Tom exchanged a concerned glance.

"Once upon a time," Chakotay repeated.

The briefing was short. The away team had found everything they'd set out to and hadn't run into any trouble. With Voyager's cargo bays full of supplies, the captain was happy to set a course for the nebula. Once the others were dismissed, Chakotay hung back.

He'd only been vaguely listening while his mind had been working on something else. An idea.

Once they were alone, Kathryn folded her arms and leaned against the bulkhead. "Let me guess, you'd like to stay to survey those ruins?"

Chakotay smiled. She'd become quite adept at reading him. "I could take the flyer. You could swing back for me once you're done with that nebula. I'd only need a day or so."

"I'm not going to let you stay alone."

"Oh don't worry. I have another idea I'd like to run by you."

She raised her eyebrows. "I'm all ears."


	5. Adventure!

Seven was working on a very complex algorithm when she heard the doors swish open behind her. She tensed automatically, hoping against hope that whoever it was would leave without requiring her attention. A glance up told her that was unlikely to be the case. Commander Chakotay stood behind her, with his arms folded.

"I'm quite busy Commander," she said, checking a reading on the panel beside her.

"This won't take long."

She sighed and walked across the lab to the terminal where she was busy testing her progress. Why didn't people understand that it didn't matter how long a conversation took, it was still a distraction?

"What can I do for you?" she asked stiffly, setting the run sequence and scanning over the initial results. It looked positive, but she'd need to alter some of the parameters. She went back to her primary station.

She sensed Chakotay coming to stand at her shoulder. He always seemed to enter her personal space.

"I'm going back to the planet," he said.

Seven punched in new parameters, double checking them.

"I'd like you to come with," he said.

That stopped her. She froze, hands hovering over the keys, eyes looking straight ahead.

"Why?"

"Well," he leaned against the consol. "I'm going to be taking Icheb and Naomi with me too."

At that Seven turned to face him. "Why?"

He smiled, "Call it a field trip."

She had to resist rolling her eyes at that. She returned to what she was doing, checking the numbers over again.

Chakotay continued, "They're bored here since Neelix isn't around to assist with their schooling. To the point of being destructive. You saw that yourself. Some time off-ship will do them good. Plus, there are some interesting ruins I'd like to investigate further. Perhaps you could give me a hand?"

"You're attempting to cultivate my interest in the humanities," she stated.

"Am I that transparent?" he asked. She glanced at him and her look must have said it all because he didn't wait for her answer before continuing. "Listen, you said yourself that you're interested in how societies develop. Studying these ruins could give us insight into an entire culture."

"I have work to do here," she said.

"Seven," he took her arm, as he was wont to do, forcing her to give him her full attention. "You always have work to do. Icheb and Naomi both respect you and look up to you. I know it would mean a lot to them if you came with."

"To babysit?" she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"To _mentor_. They're both old enough that they don't need to be watched the entire time."

She sighed. "Is this an order or a suggestion?"

"It's a suggestion. A strong suggestion. We'll be going in the flyer while Voyager takes a look at that nebula. We'll spend one night panet-side, two max. I checked with The Doctor and you should be fine without regenerating for that length of time."

She bristled, "You checked with The Doctor?"

He must have known he'd made a misstep because doubt flickered across his features.

"I wanted to ensure it wouldn't do you any harm before I suggested it. He thought it was a good idea. Was quite enthusiastic, in fact. I have a feeling he might ask you to take along his holoimager."

"You should take him along instead. I'm sure he'd enjoy the experience."

"I don't want to take The Doctor," Chakotay said, "I want to take _you_."

Her breath caught. She felt at a loss at what to say to that. Why was he suddenly so concerned about her?

"Besides," Chakotay said, "I've already told Naomi and Icheb you're coming. You don't want to disappoint them, do you?"

"I guess not," she said solemnly.

"Good," he said. He smiled, dropped her arm and headed for the door, stopping only to say, "Report to the shuttle bay at 16h00, Crewman."

Seven gazed down at her numbers again. Suddenly they made no sense to her. Unconsciously she clicked her jaw. Then she turned from the console and strode out. She'd need to visit the cargo bay to gather supplies.

* * *

Naomi had been on an away mission before. It had been when she was much younger and had involved sitting in the Delta Flyer doing nothing but staring at the bulkheads. This… this was something different. This time, she'd actually be going down to the planet. At first she had packed almost the entire contents of her room, just in case of emergency. When her mother had seen the great pile of cases she'd commented how Naomi's room looked like a cargo bay, and then sat with her daughter sorting through the items until only one duffle bag remained.

"But what if we get stuck underground and we need my torch and extra power cells?' Naomi had asked.

Her mother had sighed and explained that if there had been a likelihood of that – or any other emergency – occurring, she wouldn't have agreed to let Commander Chakotay take her. At any rate, Seven and the Commander would have more than enough power cells and the like. And they'd have The Flyer should anything happen. They'd be able to rendezvous with Voyager in a matter of hours.

"Are you nervous?" Samantha asked, sitting beside Naomi on her bed.

Naomi shook her head, afraid that if she admitted that she was her mother would prevent her from going.

"It's okay to be a little scared," Samantha said gently. "I remember my first off-world field trip. We went to Copernicus City on Earth's moon."

"You thought the shuttle was going to explode in Earth's atmosphere," Naomi filled in. She'd heard the story before.

"Exactly. I was so nervous that I didn't open my eyes the entire time we were in the shuttle. But when we landed it was hard to believe I'd even left Earth. Except that I could see it, hovering above . And I knew at that moment that I wanted to become a Starfleet officer and explore space."

"But I already know that I want to become a Starfleet officer," Naomi said.

Samantha smiled in that way she always did when she knew better but didn't want to cause an argument. She stroked Naomi's hair fondly.

"What I mean is, it's natural to be a little nervous of new experiences. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try them anyway."

"I guess I'm a little nervous," Naomi admitted. Then hurriedly added, "But excited too".

Before Naomi left their quarters to meet the others in the shuttle bay, Samantha tucked a hypospray into her bag.

"The Doctor said this should help if you have trouble breathing on the planet."

"Like I did when I was a baby?"

Her mother nodded and then swept her into a huge hug. "I'll only be a commline away."

When Naomi arrived at the shuttle bay, the others were there already. Seven was standing straight as a steel rod in her blue biosuit, her hands folded behind her back. Chakotay was making conversation with Icheb. Naomi could tell Icheb was excited by the way he kept raising his eyebrows. His face only became expressive when he felt passionately about something. Like when he was teaching her about genetics.

Commander Chakotay smiled when he saw her, "Ready to go?"

Naomi strapped herself into the seat behind the pilot. Icheb sat next to her, across the aisle, at what he said was sometimes the tactical station. The commander, who was piloting, made a joke about him being in the "hot seat" if someone suddenly attacked them. Seven glared at him, Icheb looked taken aback.

"A joke," Chakotay assured him. "No one's going to attack us."

When the shuttle bay doors opened, Naomi was determined to keep her eyes open. Her stomach did what felt like a cartwheel as they lifted up and swooped through the doors. Chakotay glanced over at her, as if checking she was alright. Her expression must have reassured him because he smiled and paid attention to the controls.

The ride lasted barely a half hour. Ten minutes in, Naomi realised her knuckles were white from holding onto the console in front of her, and her mouth was open. She snapped it shut and looked over to Icheb. He was reading a PADD. She couldn't believe it.

"Icheb you're going to miss us entering the atmosphere!" she hissed.

He glanced up, "is the atmosphere relevant?"

Naomi thought she caught Seven's mouth twitch, as if it was about to become a smile.

"It's not relevant but it might be interesting to watch," Chakotay commented.

At first it seemed like they were going to nosedive into the planet, but then Chakotay made some kind of course correction and they were gliding over it, getting gradually lower and lower. As they entered the atmosphere, the flyer began to shake. Naomi clutched her seat and grit her teeth. Through the viewport she could see streaks of colour, like someone had taken a map of the planet and decided to blur it. Then it solidified and she once again had a clear picture of the planet – greens and blues and oranges. Just like she imagined Earth might be. Precipitation gathered on the outer hull as they entered the troposphere and then they were soaring over hills and forests.

"Appreciating the beauty again, Commander?" Seven asked.

Naomi heard a smile in his voice when he answered, though she couldn't tear her eyes away from what she was seeing below them to check his expression.

"You can call it an aerial survey if it makes you feel better", Chakotay said.

"It's beautiful," Naomi breathed. "Isn't it beautiful Icheb?"

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," he said, and then attributed the saying, "Margaret Wolfe Hungerford."

Naomi rolled her eyes. Out of all the Borg children, Mezoti had been the one who'd embraced her individuality the most. Naomi liked Icheb well enough, but he didn't seem to fully appreciate things. Like Seven. Seven was getting better. She'd started becoming interested in food and had even made brownies – or what she called "the Delta Quadrant equivalent" – for Naomi. Icheb still had a ways to go. Naomi made a mental note to work on that.

They set down in a field of lush grass. Naomi had been expecting an experience similar to the holodeck when she stepped out of The Flyer. She'd been wrong. The holodeck could create images, but she realised just how inadequate the technology was as soon as she felt the sun on her skin, breathed in the air. It was heavy unlike air on the ship and it contained a variety of smells she couldn't identify. An insect akin to a butterfly drifted past and Naomi felt her heart lift at the realisation that it was a real, living, being, not just a projection of light. Laughter bubbled up and she spun around, quite unable to contain her excitement. Chakotay laughed too and even Icheb smiled. Seven, however, simply raised an eyebrow.

"Let's go set up camp, then you two can go play," Chakotay said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Both Seven and Icheb looked at the commander with concern.

"Camp?" asked Seven.

"Play?" asked Icheb.

Chakotay didn't answer either of them, simply strode off across the field.

Icheb trotted after him, "Commander, I was under the impression that this was an educational endeavour. I'm sure I can be of assistance with your work here."

"I'm sure you will be. But we can get to that later," Naomi heard Chakotay say as she grabbed her own bag and followed them. "Part of a field trip is having some fun. Go exploring, climb a tree."

"Are you certain that's wise, Commander?" Seven asked. Her long stride meant she kept pace with him easily.

"Seven, relax. We've scouted out the planet thoroughly. It's perfectly safe."

"Provided they don't fall."

"If anyone gets hurt we'll return to Voyager." He threw a wink to Icheb and Naomi over his shoulder. "Take that as a warning."

Naomi mentally committed to staying as safe as possible and being entirely cautious. Nothing would be worse than having to turn back as soon as they arrived. Icheb still looked slightly sickened.

"Cummon Icheb, having fun won't be so bad. I can teach you hoverball," she said.


	6. Key stone

The caves B'Elanna had explored made a nice shelter. Of course, they could sleep on the Delta Flyer but that would hardly be different from any other night aboard Voyager. Chakotay was determined to make this a rewarding experience for the children and, if he was completely honest with himself, for Seven too. She had mentioned in her report how the Ventu caves had at first seemed primitive and simplistic, but how she had soon come to realise it was an essential part of their social structure. Which is as close as Seven ever came to saying she enjoyed something. The way she looked at him when he mentioned camping, however, made him second-guess that conclusion.

"If you'd rather stay on the Flyer you're welcome to," he told her once Icheb and Naomi had gone off to play hoverball. "I thought it might be nice to try something a little different."

She inclined her head noncommittally. "Staying here will allow us to work into the night and keep an eye on the children. I imagine that was your reasoning?" She asked.

"Not exactly. But you do make a good point," Chakotay said.

After everything was set up for the night, Chakotay returned to the ruins and showed Seven the observations he'd made before about the power source, the etchings and the possibility that the obelisk would form part of a central community area. Then he stretched and looked up at the deep blue sky. The sounds of Icheb and Naomi's game came drifting to them on the breeze from the field where they were playing.

"It's such a perfect day. I partly wish I was out there playing hoverball too," he commented. "Do you play at all?"

Seven's eyes grew wide. "No," she said sharply.

Chakotay was surprised at the vehemence in her response. "Okay then."

He didn't make further attempts to engage her in conversation. She set about trying to figure out the source of the energy and running what she could of the etchings through her tricorder to try and get a translation of some kind. If it was writing, it was old enough – or alien enough – that their universal translator didn't do the job for them. Chakotay, meanwhile, started at the other end of the ruins, where he'd left off when he'd had to beam back to Voyager. Within a few hours he had worked out that there had been a cluster of buildings there either very close together or interconnected. There was no trace that there had ever been any kind of furniture though. Perhaps it had been some kind of public building, like a place of worship, and the actual settlement was a ways off, buried beneath enough sediment that Voyager hadn't seen any trace of it.

"Commander, I've found something," Seven said.

Chakotay went to join her. She was crouched at the base of the obelisk and he saw that she'd dug down a few inches into the earth.

"I managed to calculate that the obelisk would have been a great deal higher. Its proximity to these mountains means it has likely been the recipient of a great deal of sedimentary build up over the years. I believe what we have here is not so much the ruins of a fallen building, but the top tower, still apparent above ground."

Of course. Chakotay felt a little silly for not figuring that out himself.

"Good work. You're a natural," he said, patting Seven on the shoulder. "How about we take a break?"

Seven looked up, "Now, Commander?"

"Well I imagine it's gone 19h00 ship time. I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little peckish."

Seven looked at the little hole she'd dug. Chakotay was encouraged that she was reluctant to leave it. If nothing else, it meant that she was finding her work interesting.

"It will still be there once we've eaten. We still have a good few hours of daylight left."

"Give me a few more minutes, Commander." She said. "I believe there might be something here."

He crouched down next to her and looked into her hole. There appeared to be some kind of a seam running across the obelisk.

He looked at her again, "What do you think it is?"

"I am uncertain," she said. "It appears that it might be…" she paused as if doubting her conclusion.

"It might be?" Chakotay prompted.

Her brow furrowed. "A compartment of some sort, built in to the stone. It may house the power cell. I am curious to discover what energy might still be alive after so long."

"You're thinking of converting it for use on Voyager?" Chakotay guessed.

"Converting it. Or mimicking it."

"In that case," Chakotay smiled, "I'll help you dig."

* * *

Chakotay had had the foresight to bring archaeological tools, so the excavation proceeded smoothly and took far less time than Seven would have expected, due in large part to the commander's assistance. Seven tried to ignore how close he was to her, as they crouched together, digging down into the earth with small trowels and laser picks. After roughly an hour they had cleared a square of earth around the obelisk, deep enough to uncover another seam. Seven glanced up at Chakotay, waiting to hear his thoughts.

"I reckon we should try get it open," he said. "What do you say?"

He sounded slightly out of breath. The day was hot and a thin layer of sweat was glistening on his forhead.

"Are you certain you wouldn't rather take a break?" Seven asked.

The commander laughed. "If you think I'm going to go away for a meal without finding out whether this opens, you still have a lot to learn about humanity."

She recognised he meant it as a joke and so simply quirked an eyebrow in response before climbing into the hole they'd dug. She dusted sand from the seam and examined it more closely. There was definitely a clear divide between the stone. She used the trowel to see if she could leverage it open, like a draw. No luck. Chakotay climbed in after her. There was just enough space to fit the two of them, shoulder-to-shoulder. He had to reach around her to try it himself. He didn't seem to notice how uneasy this made her. Or perhaps she hid it well.

"Hmm," he said. "It's strange to find a drawer without a handle. Unless…"

He swept his hand over the stone and they both heard a soft click. They looked at each other. Seven raised her eyebrows. Even Chakotay seemed surprised that had worked. He hooked the trowel into the divide. With a grating of rock-on-rock the compartment slid out. Seven was relatively sure it would have done so automatically had it not been for years of sitting idle. Before she could caution him, Chakotay reached inside. He drew out what looked like a small stone. Seven held up her tricorder.

"I'm guessing this isn't our power source?" Chakotay asked.

"No." Seven confirmed.

He rolled it in his fingers and held it up to his eyes. "I don't think this is just a stone, Seven. Look. It's got those same markings… and" he rubbed it against his uniform and then held it up again. It was immediately apparent that the centre was not stone at all, but rather a kind of cut amber.

"Curious," Seven said, taking it as he handed it to her. "Is this the only item in the compartment?"

Chakotay nodded. Seven waved the tricorder over it, but got back no readings on the amber at all. Something about the shape and size was familiar though. Then she realised why.

"I have an idea," she said.

She clambered out of their trench and reached up to where the holes marched around the obelisk. Her suspicions were confirmed, the stone was roughly the same size. She pushed it into one of the holes experimentally.

A bolt of lightning shot across the sky. Out of nowhere.

It startled her such that she jumped, and the stone fell from her hands. Chakotay was already scrambling out of the hole.

"What was that!"

Seven knew the same thoughts were racing through his head. They were under attack. And then she saw the clouds. Ink black storm clouds, coming in at a ridiculous speed. Another bolt lit up the sky and a deafening rumble of thunder sounded. Without even thinking, Seven realised she was running across the field to where Icheb and Naomi were. Chakotay was just behind her.

Rain began to fall in large icy dollops as she reached where she could see them. They'd stopped their game, and were looking around them, clearly confused. Chakotay was waving to them wildly, calling them over.

"We should go to the Flyer," Seven said to him.

Chakotay shook his head, "The caves are closer. I'm not mad about the idea of flying in this."

As if to emphasize his point, the rain started to bucket down in great sheets, so thick that Seven had to squint to see the children. They were sprinting towards her. There was a crash and a blinding flash of light and then Seven realised that only one of them was running towards her. The other had fallen. Chakotay streaked past her to where a bundle lay in the middle of the field. A bundle that had been, Seven realised, the tallest thing in that field. Her heart leapt to her throat and pain sliced through her from her cortical node, but she didn't care. She was sprinting, quite illogically, towards him. She dropped to her knees next to Chakotay. Naomi was hovering over them, her eyes as large as a neural transceiver.

"Take Naomi," Chakotay said. "Get under cover." Water was streaming down his face, his hair lying flat against his head.

"Is he…" Seven asked. "Was he…" She couldn't finish either of the questions. The words _dead _and _hit_ stuck in her throat.

"Go!" Chakotay barked.

There were times she'd question his commands, insist he answer her questions, but one look at Naomi told her she couldn't afford to do that now. She scooped the girl up and carried her bodily toward the caves, chaos raining down all around them.


	7. Paradise lost

Naomi was babbling with questions when Seven placed her down in the cave. Seven could answer none of them. She took one of the blankets and wrapped it around the child, who was trembling violently. Seven suspected the trembling had little to do with the cold and more to do with the shock of what had happened. Seven's head was still aching and she concentrated on trying to get her emotions under control.

She'd be no good to anyone if she was lying unconscious on the cave floor.

It was a few minutes before Chakotay stumbled in, carrying Icheb over his shoulder. The boy was unconscious, Seven could see that immediately, but she leapt to her feet and pulled out her tricorder. Chakotay placed him gently on one of the sleeping bags.

Even though the tricorder Seven held wasn't a medical one, she could tell he was alive. Relief flooded her veins even as the cortical node gave another pang.

"It was a direct strike," Chakotay said. "The energy was conducted by his implants and it seems they shut down to protect him."

"He cannot survive without his implants," Seven said. The pain from her head seemed to punctuate every word. She knew Icheb no longer required all of his Borg implants. Not since he'd given her his cortical node. Still, The Doctor had said that a few would always remain, that those few controlled his vital functions. Icheb had undergone a painful genetic re-sequencing process to ensure they continued working.

"Not for long, no," Chakotay said. "But his nanoprobes should be prepared for something like this. They should be able to repair him."

He seemed to be asking Seven for confirmation. She wished she was more confident that he was correct.

"You should have brought The Doctor," she said. "I…" And another pain shot through her, more terrible than any preceding. She clutched her head, waiting for it to pass. Once the fog of the pain lifted she found both Chakotay and Naomi hovering over her, asking her what was wrong. But she had sudden clarity.

"It was the obelisk," Seven said.

Chakotay was still asking what she was talking about when she exited the cave, out into the rain. She was certain. She'd done this. The storm had started the second she'd inserted that stone. It must have been some kind of key. The obelisk must have been a weather control system. How could she have been so reckless?

She reached the obelisk as she remembered that she'd dropped the stone. Now the hole they'd dug was full of water, the ground surrounding it was muddy. _No!_

Without thinking she plunged into the hole, coming waist-deep in mud, and began trying to feel for the stone. It was there, somewhere. If she could only find it she could switch off the storm.

"Seven!" She heard Chakotay crying above the gale, but she ignored him. There were more important things to concentrate on.

The rain was lashing against her skin, her face felt cold and numb and her body was shaking so hard that she had to grit her teeth to stop them from chattering. Curse human frailty!

And then warm hands clutched her shoulders, spinning her around. Chakotay was standing in the water with her.

"Seven! Stop this!"

She tried to fight against his grip but the pain in her head and the biting cold made her weak.

"I must find the key!" She said. "The weather! I must stop the weather!"

He shook her, "Listen to me. You're not going to find it in this."

"It's my fault!" She yelled over the sound of the storm. "Icheb is damaged because of me!"

Chakotay's fingers dug into her upper arms. "Get a grip! Slushing around in this mud isn't going to do him any good. We have to cut our losses and return to the Flyer. I'm going to go get it. It's safer if just one of us braves the storm."

He was blinking madly, trying to see through the torrents of rain.

Seven felt her eyes grow wide, even as she was shaking her head. "You can't. I should come with you."

"And Naomi? And Icheb? You'd leave them alone?"

There was a long pause while she felt torn between going with to assist him and keeping Naomi and Icheb safe. Eventually she answered, "No."

Chakotay nodded curtly and then waded to the edge of their excavation, climbing ungracefully out of the hole. Then he offered her a hand. With one last look up at the obelisk, she took the proffered hand and let him help her out. He held her in place, rivulets of water still dripping down his face, his muddy hands gripping her arms.

"If I'm not back in an hour, don't come looking for me. Just try and get to the Flyer. You can call Voyager for help from there. Understand?"

She nodded, numbly.

"And Crewman, that's an order."

"Yes commander," she said.

"In the meantime, build a fire. You're soaked through. Heat up something to eat. I'll see you shortly."

With that he let go of her, turned and began sloshing through the mud and the rain in the direction of the Flyer. Seven stood for a moment in the cold watching him and wondering if she'd made the right decision. Lightning was still cutting across the sky every few minutes. What if he was hit? What if he didn't come back?

But the cool logic centre of her brain reasserted itself. He was a Starfleet officer. He knew how to look after himself. Naomi and Icheb, on the other hand… they needed her.

* * *

When Seven returned to the cave she found Naomi kneeling over Icheb, looking distraught. Seven hurried over, retrieving her tricorder from where she'd left it on the floor. She waved it over him and saw the condition hadn't changed. He was comatose, breathing lightly. She rolled up his sleeve. One of the few implants that still remained was on his upper arm. As she had feared, the skin around it had been seared by the electricity.

"We should have brought a med kit," Seven said. She heard her voice sounded hoarse.

"There's one on the Flyer," Naomi said, promptly. Seven remembered showing it to her once, when the two of them had accompanied Lieutenant Paris on a survey mission.

"Indeed," Seven said. "Hopefully Commander Chakotay will return promptly."

"Is Icheb going to be okay?" Naomi asked.

Seven was going to be truthful and say she didn't know, but one look at Naomi's face told her she couldn't do that. She swallowed and nodded, "He will be fine."

She squeezed her eyes shut against another wave of pain from the ocular node and when she opened them Naomi was looking frightened.

"Seven, there's something wrong, isn't there? Something wrong with you?"

Seven stood, creating distance between herself and Naomi.

"I'm fine," she said. "The commander ordered we build a fire. Can you retrieve the food from the container where he stored it?"

Naomi nodded and hurried off, seemingly grateful for something to do. Seven closed her eyes again. There was no need to be emotional. Icheb had survived worse. In a matter of hours he would be tended to by The Doctor and all would be fine. She repeated these thoughts over and over until she was once again calm.

Then she used a phaser and bits of dry kindling they'd found around the cave to start a fire. They heated up the tomato soup that Chakotay had replicated earlier. Seven identified it immediately as his favourite of all the fourteen varieties available in their database: spiced with vegetables. At least that had been his favourite on the holodeck.

They ate in silence. Naomi had always been a brave child. Even when the telepathic Pitcher plant had knocked the entire crew - besides the two of them and The Doctor - unconscious. She had been scared, no doubt. She had even turned to Seven for comfort. But she had never shed a tear. Now, however, she looked on the edge of weeping. Her eyes kept moving to Icheb and then to the cave entrance, as if she expected she'd be able to see the Flyer arrive. She'd jump every time thunder crashed nearby.

"I don't understand what happened," Naomi said eventually. She spoke softly, as if speaking to her soup. "I've studied weather patterns. The sky was completely clear. This storm should be impossible."

"I may have triggered it," Seven admitted.

Naomi's eyes darted up to hers, "How?"

Seven placed her bowl down next to her. She found she had no appetite. "The artefact we were studying."

Naomi's brow furrowed and her mouth twisted. Then she put down her own bowl and reached for the tricorder that Seven had placed next to Icheb, monitoring him.

Seven watched as she pressed a few buttons. Then Naomi tilted her head, "I thought so."

"What have you found?" Seven was sceptical.

Naomi leaned over and handed her the tricorder.

"You were taking readings of the artefact at the time, right? If it was a weather control device, you would have picked up an increased ionisation emanating from it."

Seven examined the readings Naomi was showing her.

"You are correct," she said, failing to hide her surprise.

Naomi had gone back to the readings Seven had taken when she'd inserted the "key". There was nothing there to indicate increased ionisation. Which meant that the storm couldn't have originated at the obelisk.

"How did you reach this conclusion?" Seven asked.

"You remember my science project?" Naomi was failing to disguise how pleased she was with herself.

"You studied the weather patterns on your father's world."

"Correct!" Naomi said in a way that Seven suspected might be a rough imitation of herself. "I did a lot of research into planetary weather. This isn't normal and it isn't a result of that artefact. At least not directly."

"Do you have a hypothesis?" Seven asked, without expression.

Naomi frowned. "Not yet," she admitted.

"Well, since you've so succinctly disproved my own, I'm afraid I am…" she reached for a suitable human expression and came up with, "flummoxed."


	8. Air

Time passed and the stormy weather didn't abate. If anything, it grew more violent. Far more concerning was that Commander Chakotay did not return. He had ordered Seven to go straight to the Flyer should he not make contact within a designated amount of time. Ordered. Yet that period of time had come and gone. She held out, hoping that he'd come dashing in, only a few minutes late. A few minutes had become many minutes.

Naomi had sat down next to Seven with the tricorder and attempted to analyse the readings. Eventually, in the warmth of the fire, her head had nodded, and then her body had slouched. Seven had caught her and repositioned her, so her head was on Seven's lap and her body lay flat.

Seven looked out the mouth of the cave as another streak of lightning lit up the sky. She was pretty certain that the sky had grown even darker. Night may have fallen. She looked down at Naomi, conflicted. She had tapped her comm badge many times since the commander had left them, but she'd received no response. It was quite possible that he just couldn't hear the soft _chirrup_ of the badge above the storm. It was also highly possible that something had happened to him.

Seven gently moved Naomi's head so that it lay flat on the sleeping bag. The child stirred but did not wake. Seven climbed quietly to her feet. She checked on Icheb again. His biosigns were stable. She wished she could tell if his nanoprobes were repairing him as they should have been. His physiology defied normal Borg conventions. She felt his forehead. It was warm. A slight fever could be a good sign. It could mean the nanoprobes were actively trying to assist him. It could also mean his body was rejecting his implants because they were inactive.

She knew what she should do. She should go to the Flyer, contact Voyager for help. Voyager would return – that would take a few hours – and then they'd be able to scan for the commander and see to Icheb's wellbeing. But that might take a further few hours. This storm would throw off Voyager's instruments and it was unlikely they'd be able to beam through it. They'd have to wait for the storm to pass.

Seven knew her orders.

She also knew that by that time, if she did not find Commander Chakotay, he could well be dead.

Her mind made up, she clipped her trusty torch to her wrist and set off into the weather at a stride, barely slowing down as the icy water hit her.

* * *

Seven stumbled through the rain, feeling like she was drowning. She could hardly see through the thick sheets of water coming down from the darkened sky, let alone make out readings on her tricorder. The wind pushed against her, making her every step a concerted effort. Her hair was tugged out of its pins and whipped against her neck. She had intended to edge along field, by the tree line, but it proved elusive. Instead she found only mud and earth and puddles. She had doubts as to whether she was traveling in the right direction. She usually had an amazing sense of direction. She could find her way in the maze that was a Borg cube. Yet here she was at a loss. She knew the Flyer was at most two kilometres from the caves. Her hope had been that if she set out in its general direction, she might encounter the commander without going directly against his orders and actively looking for him. She was certain she'd walked the distance from the camp to the Flyer twice over. Yet she'd found neither Chakotay nor the craft.

And then she tripped over something.

Suddenly she was tumbling through the mud, down some kind of slope. She stuck out her arms trying to stop her decent and was only partially successful. She slowed enough to land at the bottom of the slope with a _squelch_ rather than a _splat_. She sat up and wiped mud out of her eyes. Then her heart gave a shudder. Not far from where she sat was a long mound. A mound, black as the sky, with a tiny patch of red at the one end.

Seven lurched to her feet and propelled herself forward, slipping in the mud, "Commander!"

The mound stirred as she dropped to her knees beside it.

Chakotay was lying face-down, an arm over his face. He coughed as she tried to pull him into a sitting position.

He looked at her, bleary-eyed, "Seven?"

Seven tried to scan him with the tricorder, using her body as a shield against the rain. The slope protected them from the worst of the elements and she was actually able to make out the screen.

"You're ill," she concluded.

"Seven, the Flyer," Chakotay tried to say, but he was coughing.

"I don't understand," Seven said, looking at the readings. "You're having a reaction to the environment." He'd been fine earlier.

Chakotay grabbed her hand, almost knocking the tricorder from her grip, "Seven, the Flyer, it's gone."

"Impossible," she concluded. "You are delusional."

She stood, even as he clutched at her trying to explain that the Flyer had simply disappeared. She hefted him to his feet, almost slipping again and sending both of them tumbling.

"We'll go back to the cave," she said, slinging his arm around her shoulder.

She scanned the environment with the tricorder, identified lifesigns a good way off and decided they must belong to Naomi and Icheb.

What concerned her was that they were in fact exactly where she'd thought they should be. Which meant she hadn't been lost. She had walked in the exact correct direction… and not found the Flyer. She didn't have a chance to reflect on that, however. Chakotay sagged and she stumbled, suddenly burdened with his full weight.

"Seven," his voice was thin. "Seven you must go back to… Naiomi… Icheb… I can't…" and he coughed again, sinking to his knees and pulling her down with him.

"Commander!" She took him by the shoulders and shook him, but her efforts garnered no response. Her node flared with pain again as she felt a surge of panic, "Chakotay!"

His eyes rolled up to look at her.

"Listen to me," she said, gritting her teeth. "We have to walk."

"I… gave you an order… Crewman," he said, his voice sounding like gravel.

"You're more than welcome to inform the captain of my insubordination. But first, we must walk."

She pulled him to his feet and they staggered forward. His breathing was heavy, rasping. She had to practically drag him up the rise they'd both fallen down. She said a silent thank you to whatever powers may be that she had enhanced Borg strength to assist her with the task. When they reached the top, Chakotay collapsed again, wheezing.

She sank down beside him and lifted his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Commander, you've fought the Cardassians. Are you honestly going to let this…" she gestured with her head as if indicating the planet in general, "destroy you?"

He reached up an arm, taking her hand in his own. And then she saw in his eyes the most terrifying thing. He was afraid.

"Seven…" he murmured.

"No," she said sharply, knowing what he was about to say. "I'm not going to leave you here. Now get up."

He began coughing again, his head lolling forward. She clambered to her feet and took both of his arms, tugging him upwards with all the strength in her being.

"Get up!" she ordered.

At first he was akin to a ragdoll, a dead weight. Then he complied, his legs locking as he pushed himself upwards with a last show of strength. She grabbed him around the middle before he could fall over again and then took one arm over her shoulder, keeping her other arm around his waist. She'd carry him if she had to.

* * *

By the time they reached the cave, Chakotay was hardly breathing. Naomi leapt to her feet when she saw them, her eyes wide again. She backed away from the fire where she'd been sleeping.

"Water!" Seven demanded. She didn't know what else to try. Naomi scrambled over to their supply crate as Seven deposited Chakotay on the blankets. He stared up at her, trying to gasp in air. She did the only thing she could think of and tore his uniform away from his neck. His pips went flying, tinkling across the stone floor. Having his throat less constricted didn't seem to help. He reached up for her, his mouth moving as if he wanted to speak, but he was unable to get enough air into his lungs to do so.

"What's wrong with him?" Naomi asked, standing over them with a canteen of water.

Seven shook her head. "The tricorder said he was having a bad reaction to the environment. As if he can't breathe the air. But I don't understand – he was breathing it only an hour or so ago. "

"Maybe the air's changed?" Naomi suggested.

Seven tore her eyes away from the commander to look up at the child, "How could it have? We would have noticed."

"Not necessarily," Naomi said. "I'm part Ktarian, you and Icheb are part Borg. And the weather... it would explain why there's such a storm. When the environment changes suddenly -"

"- I know basic climatology," Seven snapped.

Chakotay was still gasping up at her and she had her hands on his chest, though she didn't know how she could possibly save him. Every option she thought of required equipment they didn't have available. She looked at her hands, they were shaking.

"Seven!" her head snapped up and she realised Naomi had been calling her, but she'd been so absorbed in Chakotay and fighting off the pounding in her head that she hadn't noticed.

The child held a hypo in her hand.

"What is that?"

"The Doctor gave it to me. When I was a baby we were stuck on a planet with air I battled to breathe. He gave it to me in case I had the same experience here."

Seven looked down at Chakotay. His eyes had closed and she felt her heart leap and her head sear in unity. She couldn't feel his chest moving anymore.

"It might not work," Seven heard Naomi say through the blur of the pain. Seven was determined. She wouldn't lose consciousness. Not now.

She reached up her hand for the hypospray. "It's all we have available," she said. "We must try it."

"What if it makes him worse?" Naomi asked as Seven took the hypo from her. Seven didn't answer, just fixed her eyes on the girl. Naomi must have seen the answer in those eyes: he couldn't get worse.

Seven pressed the spray to his neck and held her own breath. At first nothing happened. Then his chest began rising and falling again. He coughed and Seven just sank down, her head landing on his chest, her veins flooding with relief and her cortical node's pain slicing through her. The pain would stop though. It wouldn't kill her. The commander was okay. She'd be okay too.


	9. Defective

Seven felt a feather-light touch against her hair.

"Seven?" Chakotay's voice croaked.

She sat up, disorientated. Naomi was sitting beside her, both hands in front of her mouth, looking terrified . Seven looked down at the commander. His brow was creased and his eyes were narrowed as he looked up at her.

"We lost you for a moment there," Chakotay said, his voice still hoarse.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, shifting herself into a more dignified position beside him.

"No you're not," Naomi said. Then to Chakotay she said, "She's been pretending she's fine all night, but she keeps closing her eyes and holding her head like she's in pain."

"Is this true?" Chakotay asked, sitting up.

"You should rest," Seven insisted.

He ignored her, taking her chin in his hand so he could examine her. As if he could see what was wrong with her just by looking at her face carefully.

"Seven, now's not the time to stand on pride. I think it's pretty clear there's something going on here. Are you in pain?"

"Not anymore," she pulled away from him and stood. "Our working theory is that the environment underwent a shift."

She retrieved her tricorder and did a quick scan of Icheb. He was still stable, showing the same readings he had been before. That was a relief. Then she checked her scans of the atmosphere.

She arched an eyebrow, "It would appear your analysis is correct, Crewman Wildman. The atmosphere has changed."

She addressed Chakotay as she said, "It appears that there has been a spike in atmospheric oxygen, and a drop in carbon dioxide. I imagine you were suffering from pulmonary oxygen toxicity."

He swallowed, rubbing his chest just below the neck. He seemed to realise his uniform was torn and looked down, "and this?"

"You were having difficulty breathing," Seven said by way of explanation.

Naomi quickly elaborated, "She was really worried about you. She was shaking and everything."

Seven turned away quickly before he could see the colour rising to her cheeks. "Something must have caused the atmospheric shift. Change of this magnitude usually takes millennia. I believe the answer must lie with the artefact. Now the commander is functional again I will go and investigate further," she made for the cave mouth, but Chakotay was on his feet and had moved in front of her before she got as far as the threshold.

"We have bigger problems," he said. "The Flyer's missing."

He was keeping his voice down, but Naomi heard him.

"The Flyer's missing?" she asked, behind them.

Seven turned, addressing the girl. "We are not certain. Our failure to locate it in the storm does not mean it's 'missing' just that we've… misplaced it."

Naomi blinked. Chakotay touched Seven's arm, "Step outside with me a moment?"

She nodded and followed him out. The rain was still coming down but the thunder seemed further off. Promising. She clicked on the torch, holding her arm slightly away from her body to give them light.

"It's not misplaced, Seven. It's gone." Chakotay said. "I must have wondered that area for twenty minutes before I started battling to breathe. You saw the tricorder. It's not there."

Seven looked down at her other hand, the one that wasn't holding the light. It was still trembling.

"Icheb?" she asked.

Chakotay shook his head. "I don't know what to suggest. We're going to have to wait for Voyager's return".

Panic was threatening to overwhelm Seven again, but she fought it down.

"Something doesn't add up here," Chakotay said. "The atmosphere… the Flyer… we know there isn't other sentient life here. At least not the kind that gives off readings. But something's going on and it- Seven?"

He'd noticed her touching her head. He put his hands on her shoulders, "Seven, you're in pain again, aren't you?"

His eyes were looking right into hers, boring into hers. His gaze was so intense that she wouldn't have been surprised if he could see her thoughts.

"I'm f-"

"- Don't say you're fine. I can see you're not," he snapped. "Icheb's in a coma, I might not be able to breathe in a few hours. I need to know that I can rely on you. If this planet is affecting you in some way…"

"It's not the planet," she said shortly.

"What then?"

She looked away, ashamed. He let go of her shoulders, walking away running his fingers through his soggy hair. He seemed exasperated.

"I am… defective," Seven said quietly.

At first she didn't think he'd heard her, not above the sound of the wind and the rain. Then he turned back to her slowly.

"Defective how?"

She looked down at her feet, seeing for the first time how her biosuit had become all but brown with mud. "The Borg built in a failsafe. To prevent me from experiencing certain levels of emotion. If I do, I am deactivated."

"Deactivated!"

The exclamation was so loud that it made Seven jump.

"What do you mean? You experience intense emotions and you die?" Chakotay was right next to her again. She thought he was going to grab her shoulders and shake her, but he didn't. He simply stood there, staring at her.

"That is correct," she mumbled.

He swore.

In all her time aboard Voyager, she had never heard the commander so much as utter a curse word. He had always been the cold steel type of a leader, using quiet determination to get his way. The word startled her and she found herself staring at him wide-eyed. He began pacing, running his hands through his hair again.

"How long have you known?" he asked eventually.

"A while."

"And The Doctor?"

"He knows. Surgery would be intensive and dangerous, lasting several sessions. I opted not to undergo it."

Chakotay took a deep breath, covering his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry Commander," Seven said. "Had I known my condition would put you and the children in jeopardy… I would have refused to accompany you."

He dropped his hands, looking at her incredulously.

"Seven," he said. "Don't apologise. I just… I can't imagine that. Not being able to feel emotions?"

And then Seven realised that he wasn't upset with her, he was upset on her behalf. She bristled. The last thing she wanted was pity.

"I'm quite capable of feeling emotions. Provided they do not exceed a certain limit."

He came over to her again, "Well, I won't lie to you. That certainly does explain a lot."

"Such as?"

"Such as how you avoid personal interaction whenever possible. Such as how you never let anyone get close. And how you're always working, you won't allow yourself to take pleasure in anything."

At the last line, she felt a surge of anger, "And how would you know whether I take _pleasure _in anything?"

"Well, do you?"

"Yes."

"Oh?"

She opened her mouth to say "hoverball" but changed her mind at the last minute, remembering she'd told him earlier that she didn't play.

"Singing," she said.

"Singing?" he seemed incredulous.

"And… and playing the piano."

His eyebrows shot up at that.

"And a variety of other things that are none of your concern!"

He stepped back from her. They looked at each other in stony silence for a moment. Then he dropped his gaze.

"I owe you an apology," he said quietly. "Another apology. I shouldn't have… it's none of my business."

"You are correct," she said stiffly.

And then her eyes narrowed. He noticed and looked over his shoulder to try see what she was staring at. Finding nothing, he turned his gaze back to her.

"Seven?"

"It's no longer raining."

Realisation dawned on his face as he saw she was correct. Some time during their argument the rain had stopped. Then Seven felt her eyes grow wide.

"What's wrong?" Chakotay asked quickly.

"Commander… it's snowing."

Tiny white flakes, looking like pieces of ash, were falling upon his uniform, in stark contrast to the black and red. He looked down at his arms for confirmation, then looked up at her.

"What the hell is going on?"


	10. Vulnerability

Seven cut a tragic figure. Standing there, wide-eyed, as flakes of snow landed on her shoulders. Her hair was loose and hanging in muddy clumps, still wet from when she'd come to find Chakotay. He noticed it was surprisingly long. He never would have been able to tell from the way she plastered it to her head. Her face was streaked with mud, as was most of her body. This was not the visage she usually chose to present to the world. Not by a long shot. Chakotay realised, with a sinking feeling, that she was in that state almost entirely because of him. She'd come after him, even though he'd ordered her not to. She'd saved his life. And how had he repaid her? By insulting her.

She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

"The temperature dropped," he said.

"Significantly."

As one they headed into the cave. Naomi was huddled in a sleeping bag by the fire, which was now starting to die down. She glanced up at them, concerned.

"We need to build a bigger fire," Chakotay said. "Anything unnecessary that we can burn we must. Naomi, go to the back of the cave and gather any kindling and small rocks you can find. Seven, you'd better get out of those wet clothes."

Seven stared at him. Too late, he realised how those words must have sounded. He reached down and tossed her a blanket.

"No time to be shy. If the temperature continues to drop at the current rate you're going to freeze. Your biosuit is soaked."

He saw her eyes flutter downward, her chest rise and fall quickly. He was surprised that the idea bothered her so. She'd always seemed to consider clothing merely functional. He had never seen her wear anything other than the multi-coloured biosuits The Doctor had replicated for her.

"Seven, did you hear me?" he prompted. "Is something the matter?"

She shook her head.

"Good."

He turned from her and began stripping down himself. The standard issue Starfleet uniform was water resistant to a certain extent. That extent didn't include lying face-down in a puddle. It was also good at insulating heat. It was built for survival in all circumstances. That is, if it wasn't soaked through. Chakotay dried himself as best he could, wrapping a blanket around his waist. Then he turned back to Seven to ask her if she thought moving Icheb closer to the fire would help him.

His words flew from his mind when he saw her. The transformation was quite something. Her hair was beginning to dry into golden ringlets in the warmth of the fire. They fell onto silky white shoulders. She had wrapped the blanket around her and was clutching it tightly. The way the fabric hung, like a dress, made her look strangely feminine. Her large eyes were wide as she looked at him. She seemed terrified. She seemed, standing there in that blanket with that expression on her face, vulnerable. Had Chakotay been given a dictionary and told which word would be the last he'd use to describe Seven of Nine, that would have been it. Perhaps it was the dim light of the fire (she'd removed the torch when she'd undressed) or perhaps it was what she'd told him about the Borg implant that constantly tried to kill her. Whatever the reason, that word suddenly floated to the forefront of his mind.

He was shaken from his reverie when Naomi came stumbling into the ring of light, burdened with what she'd collected.

"This was all I could find," she said breathlessly, depositing her collection by the fire.

Chakotay went over to her to examine what she'd found. It did not look promising. Mostly she'd found pieces of moss and stone. Not much in the way of fuel.

"You did good," he assured her.

He pursed his lips and looked at the equipment they'd brought. His and Naomi's bags were fabric (they could burn), Icheb had brought a box. Seven, on the other hand, bad brought a hexagonal metal container, a tube with many sides. It was the kind they usually used for collecting samples on alien worlds. Chakotay vaguely remembered she'd had it with her on Ledos too.

"Seven, I'm afraid we're going to have to re-appropriate your luggage."

He glanced at her and saw her eyebrow was quirked in that characteristic way.

"Explain," she said.

He went over to where they'd stashed the bags and picked it up and examined it closely.

"I can use this to make what we used to call a 'hobo oven' back at the Academy. We can heat the rocks using our phasers, and store them in here. It will provide warmth. Like a fire that requires very little fuel."

"Innovative," Seven said. "You may proceed."

He emptied the bag, noting that Seven had brought mostly tools but taking care not to examine the contents too closely. Then he turned it on its side. With the laser cutter from the archaeologist's kit, Chakotay cut away a portion at the base – creating a window to replenish the fuel. Then he cut a series of vent holes along the top. He became aware of both Seven and Naomi watching him intently.

"Part of the wilderness survival training course," he explained. "They used to use coffee cans for this back on Earth, so I'm told. There, done."

He took it to their makeshift fireplace and placed it down on what was left of their fire. The cave immediately darkened. The only light came from the gap at the base and the vent holes, which cast eerie shadows about them.

Icheb groaned.

Even in the half-light Chakotay was aware of Seven rushing to his side and dropping to her knees. Her hair caught the light, falling forward as she leaned over him.

Icheb gave a mumble.

"Tricorder!" Seven demanded, her arm stretching out for it, though her eyes remained focused on the boy. Chakotay hurried to comply, retrieving the one she'd used to scan him and handing it to her.

"I need more light," she said.

Again he complied, fetching her torch. She switched it on and then handed it back to him. He raised his eyebrows, but figured now was not a good time to remind her about the chain of command.

He held the light steady for her. In the torchlight he saw the worry pass over her features as she scanned Icheb. The boy groaned again and reached up a hand, his fingers brushing her wrist.

"Seven…"

"Do not speak. You are injured."

"The lightning," he said, ignoring her. "I… I…"

"Shh." She placed a finger on his lip. "Remain still."

The thought occurred to Chakotay that he may be in the middle of a very bizarre dream. That was as likely an explanation as any for what was happening. First the strange weather, then the Flyer disappearing, then the news about Seven's node and now this. The woman who they'd taken on board fully Borg; who Kathryn had adopted as a personal – and challenging – project; who handled everything with mechanical precision and impassive abruptness, suddenly transformed into this… Florence Nightingale. The words were Seven, the commanding presence was Seven, but the emotions that passed over her face and the gentleness she exhibited, Chakotay never would have imagined.

Then her eyes shot to Chakotay and he was partly glad to see the same cold, blue, steel he was accustomed to.

"Did your Starfleet training suggest anything that might ease his pain?"

"All I have to offer is soup," Chakotay said lamely.

Her eyes fell back to Icheb.

"You must continue to rest," she said quietly. "Your nanoprobes are repairing the damage. If you sleep now, the damage will be repaired when you waken."

Chakotay could see Icheb was shaking his head.

"No," he said weakly, "no they're not."

Seven's face fell, and then she winced. The node?

"I must regenerate," Icheb said. "You must take me back to Voyager."

"That is not possible at present," Seven said. Chakotay was certain he heard her voice shake. Reflexively, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. It was surprisingly warm, considering the constantly dropping temperature around them, and incredibly soft. She looked up at him. Vulnerable. Again, the most unlikely word and yet it fit. Her eyes were pleading. _Think of a solution, Commander. Save him._

"Seven, you _need_ to relax," he said quietly, knowing she'd understand his meaning. Icheb was looking up at them curiously.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked.

"Everything's going to be fine," Chakotay assured him. "Close your eyes. Seven's right, you need to rest. Regardless of your Borg physiology, your body's taken a beating."

He stood and gently pulled Seven up with him. She resisted at first but then she let him guide her to her feet. He turned her to face him.

"Triggering the node isn't going to do him any good," he murmured, so neither Icheb nor Naomi could hear.

"I know that," she said through grit teeth. Her chin was tilted, defiantly. Then she started blinking rapidly and she looked away, her hand moving up to touch her head again.

Chakotay seized her wrist. She looked at him, startled. But he was looking at the wrist. It was the hand that was still coated in Borg technology.

"Commander?" Seven queried.

"_Your_ nanoprobes are still functioning, aren't they?" Chakotay asked.

"Of course," Seven said. And then it seemed to dawn on her. "You're suggesting a transfusion?"

"I don't pretend to know much about Borg technology, but I've always been under the impression that one nanoprobe is very like another."

"They are highly adaptive."

They stared at each other. Chakotay was suddenly very much aware of how close they were standing. Then Seven pulled away, kneeling beside her charge once again. Chakotay noticed that Naomi was crouched by the oven, warming her hands and watching them.

"Icheb," Seven said. She touched his neck gently. He must have passed out again while they'd been talking. He blinked up at her.

"I require your assistance regarding a hypothesis. Your body underwent modifications when you gave me your cortical node. I need to know whether my nanoprobes are still compatible."

He stared at her, blankly.

"Icheb, can you understand me?"

When she received no answer, she placed a hand on his forehead and checked the tricorder's reading again. Then she threw a look at Chakotay. She didn't need to speak, the look said it all. He was burning up.

"You have to give it a try," Chakotay said.

"What if it fails?" He had never heard Seven sound frightened before. Even when she'd faced death.

He moved to her side and took her hands in his, "Listen, at the moment we can't do anything for him. The nanoprobes are unlikely to make things worse. They might make him better. I think that's a risk we can take, don't you?"

She pressed her eyes closed and he knew that she was in agony.

"Seven!"

"Not enough data," she said, though her jaw seemed locked.

Chakotay looked at the boy, then looked at Seven and then he knew what he had to do. She was feeling conflicted, she was panicking. He needed to take the choice out of her hands.

"Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. I _order_ you to". Her eyes snapped open. "You must comply."

She looked at him wide-eyed for a moment. And then she nodded and tore her hand from his. With a flick of her wrist, long tubules shot out of her hand. She disengaged her other hand from his grip – he hadn't even realised he'd still been holding it – and picked up Icheb's. She rolled back his sleeve, revealing the implant that was still attached to his arm. Chakotay was horrified to see the singed skin around it. The boy must have been in unbearable pain. Seven touched something – or did something – and tubes shot out of his hand too. They were shorter and Chakotay could tell they weren't fully developed. Nevertheless, the two sets of tubes seemed to meld before his eyes. Seven closed her eyes and started breathing deeply.

Those tubes, on the few occasions he'd seen them before, had always disturbed him. When she had them bared, she seemed completely alien. It was a reminder of what she'd been, of the drone who had tried to take over the ship and assimilate them all. Now, however, watching her give of herself for Icheb, Chakotay couldn't imagine anything more human.

Eventually the tubes retracted and Seven sagged back. Chakotay caught her. She seemed exhausted, but her blue eyes were open. She was watching Icheb intently. Then he saw what she'd been watching for. The singed skin around the implant began to heal itself before their eyes. And then Seven smiled, leaning forward, her face awash with delight. And she laughed.

It was the first time Chakotay had ever heard Seven laugh and he was at once certain he had never heard anything more beautiful. Perhaps it sounded musical because it was so unexpected and so rare. Perhaps it was because of the relief flooding through him. Whatever the reason, he found himself laughing with her.

Naomi jumped up, "Is Icheb going to be okay?"

"Yes," Chakotay said, "He's going to be fine."

* * *

**A/N Icheb's physiology is in general pretty confusing. I re-watched episodes that mention it and came to this being plausible but if you have your doubts my thought process is basically:** Humans getting hit by lightning can survive if it travels in a particular way and gets out of the body asap. Of course humans don't have bits of metal in them. Icheb does - tough only a few bits compared to Seven. Icheb's implants shut down when he was struck the way a plug might fuse, passing the electricity out of the body. The Borg would have this fail-safe to protect against electricity-based weaponry if nothing else. The implants would usually be repaired by nanoprobes... but as I understand it the cortical node issues directions to the nanoprobes (which are basically tiny robots that maintain implants among other functions). When he gave Seven his cortical node, Icheb lost the ability to control his nanoprobes (or they may have even exited the body altogether). He conducted "genetic re-sequencing" to convince his body to accept and control the implants that are responsible for vital functions, rather than using nanoprobes. No nanoprobes = no repair team to look after those fused implants (which still control some of his vital functions according to The Doctor). Seven understands this much, but what she doesn't know is whether his body will accept her nanoprobes or reject them (she never looked at his re-sequencing study. if you recall). If his body rejects them, it would make his situation even worse, which is why she's reluctant to try it. On the other hand, she knows they're capable of healing him and easing his pain - which nothing else they have available can do. SO there you go, internal conflict.

Also, yes, naked Chakotay :P Stay tuned for more of that tomorrow ;)


	11. Admirable qualities

**A/N Fluff alert! If you detest fluff feel free to skip ahead. Another author's note at the end explains the clothinglessness if you're interested.**

* * *

Seven clutched the Starfleet-issue blanket around her tightly. She was relatively certain the temperature had dropped ten degrees in the time it had taken to move Icheb closer to the fire. Commander Chakotay had started to heat some soup for himself. She was trying desperately not to stare at him. He'd already caught her staring twice. When he'd stripped off his uniform she had averted her eyes, looking up only when she'd heard him turn back to her. Then she had stared. She knew she had. Despite everything her mind had instructed, her eyes had remained disobedient, drinking him in.

He was well-toned. She hadn't known that. She had been aware of his bulk – especially on the holodeck when his holographic self had collided with her during hoverball. She'd never analysed it. She knew that he enjoyed boxing, she should have guessed the muscles on his arms would be well-developed. She had never let her mind venture there, even on the holodeck. Imagining him with his clothes off felt like an invasion of his privacy. But then he was standing in front of her, the firelight playing off his frame. And he had continued to move around the cave in that state of dress. How he hadn't frozen, she didn't know. As he'd leaned over, crafting the makeshift stove, she had noticed he had other tattoos besides the one on his face. There was some kind of pattern on his lower back, climbing up his spine, ending just below his first rib. There was another on the back of his shoulder-blade. Also a tribal pattern of some kind. She longed to ask him what they signified, but she was determined to pretend she wasn't looking, hadn't seen. He'd caught her staring a second time, when she'd been enraptured by the play of the light over his brown arms as he'd carved away the metal.

"Admirable qualities," she'd told The Doctor. She'd had no idea.

Now she fixed her eyes on the soup, as it bubbled in its pan above the stove.

"Would you like some?" Chakotay asked. She jumped slightly then shook her head.

He came to sit beside her, holding the pan. "What's wrong? Are you still in pain?"

She shook her head again. The node had stopped bothering her as soon as she'd managed to control her emotions. It remained silent, appeased.

"I am slightly tired, however," she said, ignoring how close the commander was sitting to her, how his skin – despite the cold in the air – radiated heat.

"Under normal circumstances I would need to regenerate after the loss of many nanoprobes. Of course, that option is not available at present," she explained. Then she looked up, finding his face full of concern. "I am fine, Commander."

"You should get some rest." His eyes cut to Naomi who was staring at the fire with her head on her knees. "We all should. We can start trying to figure out what's happening here when it's light."

And when their clothes were dry.

Their supplies had included a sleeping bag and extra blanket each.

Seven assisted Naomi, who was already half asleep, with climbing into the sleeping bag and then tucked the blanket around her. Seven had put her to bed many times when she'd been younger. When Ensign Wildman had been on duty and Neelix had been off ship. Naomi did not protest.

Then Seven turned her attention to Icheb, checking his temperature again. It was still a little high, but that was to be expected while the nanoprobes worked. She also checked his implants – the ones on his arms and his chest – and saw, with great relief, that the skin around them had already healed. Now the only worry was that the nanoprobes would not be able to repair his damaged implants without the aid of a cortical node. She swallowed. It was inefficient to think of worst case scenarios when one could do nothing to prevent them. She'd stay close and set the tricorder to wake her if anything changed. She zipped up his sleeping bag and ensured his blanket was covering him adequately.

Satisfied, she sat back. And caught Commander Chakotay looking at her. His eyes moved away quickly and he busied himself with packing away the pan and the containers of food. He was still concerned about the fact that she couldn't regenerate, she realised.

"Yes ," she said.

"Pardon?"

"To your unasked question, the answer is yes."

There was a pause. Then he asked, "Care to elaborate?"

"You were wondering if I am capable of sleep. I am. I do not require sleep when I have access to my alcove. The regeneration process recharges my nanoprobes and Borg systems while putting me into a deep meditative state. However, when required, I am capable of sleep."

He blinked and then said, "Good to know."

"Is that not what you wished to ask me?" she asked, arching an eyebrow and tilting her head slightly.

"As a matter of fact, no," he said.

He was rolling out his own sleeping bag. They were sleeping in a semi-circle, with the fire between them and the cool draft from the cave mouth. Naomi was on the one edge, on the other side of Icheb. Chakotay was settling himself down at the other edge. Seven was satisfied with this arrangement. It would allow her to be close to Icheb should he require her during the night.

"My apologies," Seven said. "You seemed as though you wanted to ask something. I only assumed that you would be curi-"

"-why don't you wear your hair down more often?"

She stopped, her mouth still slightly open, her brain sluggish in processing the unexpected question.

The commander's gaze flickered down, focusing on the fire. His dimples appeared as he made an obvious attempt to suppress a smile.

"That's what I wanted to ask," he said. Then his eyes met hers, "I wasn't sure whether you'd consider it 'none of my concern'."

He was quoting her angry words from earlier. She hesitated, her own eyes fixing on the flames lapping out from beneath the stove. She could feel colour rising to her cheeks and hoped Chakotay didn't see.

"I find it troublesome," she said at last. "I prefer it being out of the way while I am performing my duties."

"And when you're off-duty?"

She looked up at him, trying to gauge his expression.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned about how I spend my time after hours?" she asked, taking care to keep any antagonism out of her voice. It wasn't an accusation, she was genuinely curious.

"I apologise if it makes you uncomfortable," he said. "I'm sure you're aware that it's part of my duty as First Officer to see to the well-being of the crew. You're a member of the crew. I feel like I've been negligent –"

"You haven't," she said quickly.

He seemed taken aback. Her words had come out harsher than she'd meant. She looked down at her own sleeping bag, bundled up beside her knees and she spoke as if speaking to it.

"Your counsel has been invaluable on many occasions. I regret that I have not always reacted favourably at the time. But it has meant a great deal to me."

She didn't dare look up. She was so unaccustomed to speaking from the heart that she always felt her words might be interpreted as insincere. The silence stretched between them and she was starting to regret having said anything when he finally responded.

"I don't know what to say," he said. "I had no idea."

All at once she wanted to terminate the conversation. She pulled the sleeping bag up over herself, and lay down. "Goodnight, Commander."

"Goodnight Seven."

* * *

During the night the temperature continued to drop. A cool breeze blew into the cave and the flames in the campfire flickered and died down. Seven woke after only an hour or so of uneasy sleep. She stoked the flames and re-heated the stones with her phaser. They were lucky to have found some that retained heat so well. She checked on Icheb – his condition was still stable – and that's when she noticed Naomi, curled in on herself, shivering. Her body was accustomed to the carefully maintained temperatures on Voyager. It had never had to cope with discomforting elements. The girl was clearly still asleep, but her arms were locked around her body and her brow was creased. Without a second thought, Seven gathered up her own sleeping bag and tucked it around Naomi. She sat beside her until she stilled, her body relaxing a limb at a time.

Seven ignored the goosebumps on her shoulders as she returned to her place by the fire. She was Borg (well, partly), she would adapt (well, easier than the six-year-old would). She wrapped her arms around herself and curled into as small a shape as she could manage to maintain heat. Then she closed her eyes and ordered her body to commence with sleep.

* * *

Chakotay wasn't sure what woke him. He had an idea that it was the murmuring. He was used to sleeping in complete silence, so even the soft moans that escaped Seven's lips were enough to wake him. He felt disorientated at first. The cave was dark, the fire low. Then he came to himself, his eyes adjusting. He saw Seven lying nearby, tossing in discomfort. Her mouth was moving and she was saying something, though he couldn't hear what. The Starfleet blanket was tied around her, but he couldn't make out her sleeping bag. He moved over to her, thinking she had tossed it off in her sleep and that he could cover her again. When he failed to find it, he realised what must have happened. He looked at Icheb and then at Naomi. His suspicions were confirmed.

"Don't…" Seven said quietly. "Please…"

Her eyelids were flickering, it was clear she was dreaming. She rolled over onto her back, "Let them go… please."

Chakotay reached out and touched her shoulder. It was ice cold. He looked around for something to cover her with, that could give her extra warmth. There was nothing. They'd even cut the bags into scraps to burn. So he gathered her into his arms, wrapping them both in the warmth of his sleeping bag.

* * *

Everything was cold. The air, the metal, the green lighting, the glassy eyes of the Borg queen.

"Abandon your human frailties," she said. "They are the cause of your pain."

And there was the ship with the four survivors, being tractored in. The small family, the father having lost an arm already to the Borg. To be free only to be snagged again, like a fish on a line, slowly being reeled in as it flayed. Inching towards death.

"Please," Seven begged.

And the screaming cut into her, the choking sobs. Parents begging for the lives of their children. Lovers watching their partners being mutilated. No compassion in those cold, dead, eyes. Only calculating malevolence.

"Please…" Seven whispered again.

And then warm arms were holding her and a soothing voice was speaking into her ear. "It's just a dream."

Oh such wonderful warmth, she pressed in to it. The image of the cube melted away and she was vaguely aware that that was all over now, in the past. Now she was human again. Now she felt safe.

* * *

**A/N: I received a note asking: wouldn't they have extra clothes if they were camping? **

**The one answer is:** They only expected to be gone overnight and on other away missions in the series when they're away for such a short time they tend to just stay in their clothes. Also, they had the Flyer so, being the futuristic peeps they are, would have thought "well we can replicate anything extra we end up needing". Additionally, they prob would have burnt the clothing anyway considering how cold it's getting!

**The other (more honest) answer is**: I wanted them to be stripped of their clothes. Not because "ooo sexy naked people!", but because I wanted to force them to re-consider each other. Their clothing defines the characters in the eyes of other characters. Seven, in her biosuits and with her hair tied up so tightly looks almost mechanical, like an android. Especially the way she carries herself. I wanted Chakotay to see her as more human – a mental journey he'd started on already but needed a little nudge with. Underneath those clothes she isn't Borg, not even a little, not any more. She's the woman who would give up her own life to save the lives of others, who'd turn down medical treatment if she thought it might hurt someone she cared about, who empathises with the condemned and defends the weak. He doesn't acknowledge that side of her in the series, ever. Stripped of all her usual defences, he begins to see that for the first time here.

Chakotay, meanwhile, always appears in his uniform in the series. She sees him as The Commander, despite her secret crush on the holo-version. In his uniform he is her boss, unapproachable. Without the uniform, he's just a person. A person who is capable (something Seven thinks highly of) and passionate (something she's attracted to) and, most importantly, someone with a life outside of his role as first officer. The holodeck could only tell her what the computer knew about him. He is actually far more complex and fascinating irl she starts to discover.

But yea, okay, all that aside I know I didn't have to make it so damned fluffy. But this is fanfic and the best part of fanfic is getting to do the fluffy stuff they leave out of the series ;).

I promise after this they'll go out and actually do stuff. Or each other. No, no, they won't go out and do each other. Because canon says no. Restraint level = elite.

So far.

*ahem*.


	12. Theories

Seven stirred to wakefulness. She was unaccustomed to returning slowly to her senses. Coming out of a regeneration cycle left her instantly alert. Fuzzy images floated in her mind and for a few moments she was unaware of anything except the overwhelming sense of warmth and safety. Then she became aware that her head was cushioned on something. Then she realised there were arms around her, holding her lightly.

She sat up quickly and found herself staring down at the commander. She felt her eyes widen, her jaw slacken, her hands automatically clutching for the blanket she had secured around her, to ensure it was still in place. Chakotay squinted up at her, roused by her sudden movement.

"Explain," Seven demanded.

The commander blinked sleep from his eyes and wiped a hand across his face. "You were freezing. I didn't exactly have hypothermia on the list of field trip activities."

Seven looked at the cave mouth. Bright morning light was already reflecting inwards, off a thick layer of snow.

"I somehow doubt you had any of this on the list of activities," she commented.

She was aware of him sitting up next to her, stretching.

"That's an understatement," he said wryly.

Seven climbed to her feet, the cold biting into her as she left the warmth of the sleeping bag, and went to check Icheb. His vital signs were steady. The fever had dissipated. When she looked up at Commander Chakotay again, he was standing in his uniform. The grey neckpiece hung open slightly and the black and red were still mostly coated in brown, but it gave him back the air of authority of a Starfleet officer.

"Clothing's dry," he said with a smile, and he tossed her her biosuit.

* * *

Seven felt better as soon as she was in her familiar clothing. Granted, it was still stained with mud and it was not exactly thermodynamic. It was far from ideal for the current environment. Nevertheless, it put her at ease somehow. She suspected it was built that way. The Doctor had engineered her biosuits to offer her the same support her Borg exoplating had while ensuring the fabric did not irritate her implants. The suits had the added benefit of covering most of her body. She would have to thank The Doctor when they returned to Voyager. And they should, by her estimates, return to Voyager before nightfall. More accurately, Voyager would return to them.

Seven left Chakotay preparing breakfast (she hadn't asked what it was; the smell indicated it might involve eggs) and headed outside to re-examine their excavation. On the positive side of things, it was no longer snowing. On the negative side? The entire site was covered in a thick, white blanket – barring a small area of the ruins that must have been in the shadow of the mountain. She sighed and ran the tricorder over the obelisk. Her readings were unrevealing. She still detected that energy signature but nothing much else. Confusion was not an emotion that she particularly enjoyed.

She brushed a hand over the line of holes, dusting off the ice that had gathered there overnight. She was still convinced that inserting the stone had somehow triggered whatever was happening. The timing had been too perfect. Her eyes fell on the etchings. If they were writing they could give a clue. She scanned them again, looking for a pattern to the marks. The problem wasn't a lack of a pattern, she discovered. It was that they were too uniform. There were too many likely patterns. It was entirely possible that they were purely decorative. Or even that they were mere happenstance, the result of the elements.

There was nothing for it. The only clue was that stone. She'd have to find it again. She squatted down in the snow and began to dig with her hands.

Chakotay came out to find her a while later. He crouched down next to her and watched silently as she dug.

"Making much progress?" he asked.

She suspected he was mocking her. Her fingers were numb and bright pink from exposure and she hadn't even reached the soil yet. She was about to make some scalding remark when he took her hand.

He held it in his own, examining it. It was a strange sensation. She could see him touching her, but her fingers were completely numb. She couldn't feel him at all.

"I'm assuming the Borg have never heard of frostbite?" he said.

She frowned. Before she could say anything, he'd picked up her other hand. He held her hands in between his. His thumbs moved over them in a circular motion. Gradually the feeling started to return. Then he brought them up to his mouth and, for one startling moment, Seven thought he might kiss them. But he merely blew on them. That she felt. The hot air seemed to melt away the numbness. She watched him intently as he continued to alternate between rubbing them and blowing on them, using a combination of the friction and his warm breath to restore circulation. Eventually he let go of them.

"Better?"

She held them out in front of her, flexing.

"Much," she admitted.

"You should come inside," Chakotay said. "Icheb's awake. He'd like to speak to you."

* * *

Icheb was sitting in his sleeping bag, leaning against the cave wall. He was reading a PADD and holding a mug of something Seven assumed was soup. Naomi was sitting beside him and Seven guessed she'd been filling him in on all that had happened.

"It is good to see that you are well," Seven said as she entered, allowing herself a small smile.

His face brightened when he saw her.

He inclined his head, "Thanks to you."

"Thanks to Commander Chakotay," she corrected him, going to sit beside him. Chakotay was still outside. She assumed he'd also wanted to have a look at the ruins.

"Naomi says the Flyer has disappeared," Icheb said. "Do you have any theories?"

"That's not the only thing that's disappeared."

Seven turned to see Chakotay at the cave entrance, stomping his feet to rid his boots of the snow.

"I don't see any trees or vegetation either. The landscape seems to have completely changed."

Icheb seemed puzzled, Naomi seemed frightened, Seven kept her face impassive.

"I would point out that that is impossible, but I think it's already become apparent that we're not dealing with ordinary circumstances," she said. "We should probably keep to the caves until Voyager returns for us."

Chakotay came and sat with them, so the four of them formed a rough circle. "Aren't you a little curious about what's going on?"

"Of course," she acknowledged. "But this planet has already claimed two casualties. I do not wish to aggravate it further."

"You're speaking as if you believe the planet is alive," Icheb said.

"We have no data to prove otherwise," Seven pointed out. "For all we know, it has devoured the Flyer and has us on ice for the next meal."

At the horrified look Naomi gave her, Seven felt the need to clarify, "A joke. I am certain the planet does not possess sentience."

Naomi closed her mouth, which had dropped open, but continued to look ill-at-ease.

"Well, that might be an unlikely scenario, but I'd still like to find out what happened to the Flyer," Chakotay said. A flicker of a smile brightened his face as he added wryly, "I'm not looking forward to explaining to Tom that it 'just disappeared'."

Seven raised her eyebrows. "Neither am I," she agreed.

Lieutenant Paris had spent hours building, repairing, rebuilding and modifying the Flyer over the years. He had formed quite a connection to it during this time and would be most displeased, Seven knew, if it was simply abandoned on an alien world.

"So, aside from the carnivorous planet idea, does anyone have any theories?" Chakotay asked.

It was Naomi who spoke first. "Maybe none of this is real," she said. "Maybe we only think what we're seeing and feeling is happening and we're actually all in suspended animation while someone is doing experiments on us."

It was Chakotay's turn to look horrified. "Where in the galaxy did you come up with something like that?"

"It's not an unreasonable assessment," Seven commented. She knew she and Naomi were both recalling the 'Pitcher plant'. There had been other circumstances when the crew had found themselves the subject of scientific experiments. Seeing how they reacted under various environmental conditions would be consistent with that theory. In addition, removing their means of escape would be a prudent measure in such a scenario.

Chakotay, however, was shaking his head. "We've seen nothing to indicate there's any sort of intelligence behind this. There are beings who can manipulate weather. I've experienced it myself. But we should probably rule out natural causes first before we start jumping to conclusions."

"Perhaps we misidentified the planet," Icheb suggested.

"What do you mean?" Chakotay asked.

"We identified it as an M-Class world, but perhaps our sensors were incorrect. Perhaps it is in fact a Q-class world with an erratic orbit or an orbit that is influenced by something else – for example the nebula. Worlds with unstable orbits can often experience unpredictable environmental conditions."

He sounded like the Starfleet Academy textbook, but his idea had validity too.

"Seven?" Chakotay asked. "Any theories?"

She took a deep breath and her gaze shifted between the children and the commander.

"Any scenario is as likely as another until we have more data," she said. "I believe before we draw any conclusions, we need to establish whether the phenomenon we've experienced is localised. For all we know, the planet's atmosphere may be artificially created and malfunctioning in this particular area. Or," and she raised her eyebrows to indicate she was not being entirely serious, "we may find ourselves victims of a practical joke."

Icheb shifted, "If so, it's not a very funny joke."

Seven realised he was probably still in a great deal of pain. She touched his arm reassuringly. She noticed Chakotay's eyes following the movement, but he attempted to hide his interest by getting to his feet.

"Well, I agree with Seven. We need more data. I'd like to go back to the landing site and try and discover what happened."

"You should not go alone," Seven said quickly. She knew her concern was probably irrational, but she couldn't help but remember what had happened the previous time he'd gone looking for the Flyer.

"I'll go with him," Naomi volunteered.

"It could be dangerous," Seven said firmly.

"We'll have the comm badge, and a phaser," Naomi said. "If the weather gets bad again we'll just come back."

Seven saw, over Naomi's head, that the commander was battling to supress a smile. He gave a little shrug that said, "You can't argue with that logic."

Seven frowned. "You should remain here with Icheb."

"Why?" Icheb asked, "Where are _you _going?"

Seven stood too. "I am going to investigate how widespread the phenomenon is."

Icheb made to get up, "I'll accompany you."

Seven quickly placed a hand on his shoulder. "You must stay here and rest. You are not fully healed yet. I will be walking a great distance. It is better that I go alone."

"Well there's no reason Naomi should have to stay with me," Icheb said defiantly. "I can 'stay and rest' just as effectively on my own."

Seven inclined her head, "As you wish."

Icheb was pouting. It was natural that he was displeased. He had agreed to come on this 'field trip' after being told he'd have exciting new experiences. Seven knew that in his mind being struck by lightning did not exactly count. But it was for his own good that he stay put.

Chakotay used the blankets to create ponchos for the four of them. They would provide an extra layer of warmth and, he added completely for Seven's benefit she was sure, they would keep clothing dry. The garment was crude, but effective, Seven admitted. It allowed her freedom of movement, that was the important thing.

"Check in every hour on the hour," Chakotay commanded as they made to leave. "Turn back the second you notice anything strange – like a storm approaching, the air growing thinner. Anything. We don't want a repeat of last night."

Seven found it slightly ironic that he should be the one giving the speech, considering. She didn't comment on it, however. She merely raised an eyebrow and answered, "Yes commander."

"One more thing," he said. "No risks, okay? " And he looked at her meaningfully.

"That includes sticking your hands in the snow until they freeze and… " he let the sentence trail. "Just be careful."

She knew that he was speaking about undertaking any activity that might trigger her node again. While she was irritated that he was being so patronising – and that he still didn't seem to understand what she meant by 'excessive emotion' - she all the same appreciated that he hadn't addressed the matter directly in front of Icheb and Naomi.

"Understood," she said.

* * *

**A/N You may have noticed that Seven thinks of Icheb and Naomi as "the children". Even though Icheb isn't really a child and Naomi has recently told Neelix she isn't either, to Seven they probably will always be.**


	13. Investigation

The world outside the cave was stark and white right from the blank sky to the ground beneath their feet. Snow had covered everything, leveling the terrain and lending the air the taste of ice. Chakotay felt a swell of admiration for the early arctic explorers who had traversed such landscapes without the aid of a tricorder. He rubbed his hands together and blew on them. If they, by some miracle, found the Flyer, the first thing he was going to replicate was a pair of gloves.

Naomi, for her part, didn't seem at all discouraged by the cold. It became apparent immediately that she had never seen snow before. She'd heard about it and studied it intently, she said, but she had never actually felt it.

"When we get back to camp can we build snowmen?" she asked, trotting along beside Chakotay.

He chuckled. "If there's time before we have to leave."

"We should have a snowball fight. If Icheb's feeling up to it," she suggested.

"I'd like to see you convince Seven to try that," he commented, checking the tricorder to make sure they were heading in the right direction. The barren whiteness made it impossible to navigate by the senses.

"You can leave that to me, Commander," Naomi said.

Chakotay reminded himself that he shouldn't underestimate the determination of the bridge assistant. She had convinced Seven to start playing kadis-kot after all.

Conversation ceased for a while as the drifts got deeper and every step became a gamble not to sink waist-deep in snow. They edged their way slowly towards where the flyer had been, but it was clear as soon as they came within a few meters that it wasn't there. Only more blank snow greeted them.

"So it really is gone," Chakoty heard Naomi say beside him as he stared at the patch where he'd landed.

He had also hoped he'd been delusional the night before. He held up his tricorder and scanned the area, continuing to move forward.

"There's no sign that it was ever here at all," he said, mostly to himself. "I wasn't exactly expecting an ion trail after the storm but if a vehicle's been in the area it usually leaves some indication."

He came to the exact spot where they'd touched down and over it. That ruled out camouflage.

"Do you think someone stole it?" Naomi asked. "Maybe there were aliens here with lifesigns that we couldn't read like those ones in the void and they-"

"Anyone ever told you that you have a wild imagination?" Chakotay commented.

Naomi's mouth formed a line as she appeared to consider this.

"I like stories," she said, eventually.

Chakotay was still looking at the unrevealing readings.

"Are you planning to become a writer?" He asked her.

"No!" She said incredulously. "I'm going to become a Starfleet officer."

He eyed her over the top of his tricorder. "It's not like you've ever experienced anything else. You sure you shouldn't wait until we get to Earth before making such a decision?"

Naomi shrugged. "_If_ we get to Earth," she said cheerfully. "But I'm going to ask Captain Janeway to write my letter of recommendation to Starfleet Academy like she did for Icheb, soon as I'm old enough."

Chakotay gave a wry smile, "I see."

He hunkered down in the snow and pulled the little archaeological shovel he'd brought with them from his belt. He began spading aside the snow. It was far too late to find any kind of track to indicate what had happened to the craft, but he could analyse the soil. He was aware of Naomi crouching down next to him.

"You don't like Starfleet, do you Commander?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well I know you were part of the Maquis. I read about them." The child was nothing if not precocious.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, and you were an instructor at Starfleet Academy before you left to fight the Cardassians. Are you going to go back to doing that?"

Chakotay shovelled aside some more snow. "The Maquis no longer exist, Naomi. I'm probably going to have to return to the fold."

The subject made him inexplicably uncomfortable. But Naomi persisted. "Why don't you like Starfleet?"

"I do like Starfleet. I'm wearing the uniform, aren't I?" Well… what was left of it.

He glanced up and found the girl was frowning. He sighed.

"There were personal things I needed to do. I needed to fight the people who had taken my family from me. Starfleet wouldn't let me do that. In fact, Starfleet handed over their colony to the Cardassians. Our goals were not aligned. Starfleet deals in the big picture, Naomi. They're not concerned with the good of a single person. They're concerned with the greater good. That doesn't mean I don't like them. It doesn't mean they're necessarily wrong. It just means that sometimes an individual has to…"

He trailed off as he hit soil, at once absorbed in his readings.

"That sometimes an individual has to make a sacrifice," Naomi finished for him. "Like being stranded in the Delta Quadrant."

Their eyes met. Naomi was wise beyond her years. She had developed faster than a purely human child would have and Chakotay knew her Ktarian DNA had something to do with it. But he also knew that she'd seen and experienced more than the average child had to. Much of it unpleasant.

"Lots of good things have come out of us being here," he said, trying to lighten the mood somewhat as he continued to examine the soil. "We've had the chance to encounter many species we wouldn't have otherwise. We wouldn't have even known what a Talaxian was if we hadn't come here, and now we all know at least a dozen recipes that involve Leola root."

Naomi gave a little giggle.

"And we've mapped a bunch of star systems," she added.

He nodded. "Not to mention nebulas."

"And we rescued Seven of Nine."

Now there was an odd thought. If it hadn't been for Voyager being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, Seven would still be a drone. They would have never met her. He recalled, with a sense of remorse brought on by hindsight, that he'd come very close to killing her by blowing her out of an airlock.

"She likes you, you know," Naomi said. Chakotay's head snapped up to look at her.

"Pardon?"

"Seven," Naomi was smiling broadly.

Chakotay supressed a smile at Naomi's over-active imagination, continuing with his work. "We're colleagues. We've developed a working relationship over the years."

"Whatever you say, Commander." Naomi said. "But I've seen the way she looks at you. And you didn't see how worried she was about you last night."

"You've clearly misunderstood," Chakotay said. "I'm her commanding officer. The way she looks at me is merely as she would look to anyone for instruction. It is entirely professional. I assure you, her concern for me was no more than her concern would be for any other member of Voyager's crew."

Even as he said the words, a flash of memory hit him. The desperate look on her face as she'd cried, "Chakotay!", trying to pull him to his feet as he was struggling to breathe. He shook it off and returned to his analysis.

* * *

Seven of Nine trudged through the snow keeping an eye on her tricorder. She'd been walking for near on an hour and as of yet had not seen a single landmark. She'd headed for the higher ground to the North. The mountains in the distance had remained stubbornly in the distance, a hazy purple. Her tricorder told her they were more than a day's walk away. However, in a few kilometres a hillock rose from the ground, high enough that she might be able to see their surroundings more effectively. The flatness of the environment was deceiving, she knew. Not far from where she currently walked, the Earth dipped sharply. Her tricorder told her that a frozen river lay beneath the snow there. She decided to steer clear, uncertain whether the ice would support her weight.

She could also see that there was a valley to the West of her current location that may have once formed the crater of a volcano. While intriguing, and not too far off her route from the camp, she'd steered clear of it. No doubt navigating the snow-covered slopes would be hazardous. She had orders not to take unnecessary risks.

She checked in on the hour as she'd been instructed to do.

"Found anything?" Chakotay's voice had come over the comm.

"Nothing."

"Us neither. I'm analysing the soil where we landed. It's not exactly the most forthcoming."

"No indication of any sentience?" Seven responded dryly. She was rewarded with a chuckle.

"No, nor anything else. I'm going to dig around a bit more. Let me know if you find anything."

"Acknowledged."

Seven tried to ignore the tentacles of fear that were creeping up her spine – much as Chakotay's more hidden tattoo crept up his. There was another theory that she hadn't mentioned when they'd been talking earlier. Species 8472. They possessed the technology to recreate an environment using particle synthesis. She dismissed the idea. She understood her humanity enough now to know when she was being paranoid. She had spent so long frightened of the Borg's nemesis that it was expected she'd see it in every shadow. Still, the lack of data about their situation gave her mind ample opportunity to develop worst case scenarios.

She climbed the hill and then turned. Sunlight glinted off the snow that stretched downwards from her position. She was at once aware of how high she'd climbed as the land had gradually steepened towards the mountains. From where she stood she could still make out her footprints, heading back between the valley and the frozen lake, disappearing in the distance. If she squinted against the glare she could even make out the low mountains on the other side of the valley, where they had made their camp. She turned in a slow circle. Snow everywhere. Snow and sunlight. Sunlight and… warmth?

She tapped her badge.

"Commander. I believe it is growing warmer."

There was a pause and then Chakotay responded, "We're experiencing the same thing. Time to head back to camp."

"In a moment," Seven said. Something had caught her eye. She knelt down in the snow and examined it more closely. Curious.

A tiny sapling was poking out of the snow.

And then, before Seven's eyes, it started to grow.

* * *

Icheb paced. He knew that Seven wouldn't have wanted him to be on his feet, but he also knew that she was over-protective of him. He felt fine. Aside from the pain. But it was ebbing too. Mostly he just felt frustrated. He hated the idea that everyone else –even Naomi – was out investigating what was going on and he was stuck at base. He went to his supply crate and pulled out his tricorder.

Well, being at camp didn't mean he had to stay inside the cave. He was at the very least going to have a look at those artefacts. Maybe the others had missed something.


	14. Metamorphosis

**A/N A bit of a baby chapter, didn't want to split the next bit. **

* * *

It took about ten seconds for Seven to realise she was in trouble. The plant shot up in front of her, the stem getting taller, then becoming a full-on trunk, sprouting branches of ferny-looking leaves. She stumbled backwards, but her foot was dislodged by another tree, sprouting up beneath her feet. She looked around her, eyes growing large as she saw a jungle coming into being before her eyes.

It wasn't only the trees – it was bushes and mosses and vines swinging down from the trees. A branch shot out just in front of her and she knew with certainty that if she'd been standing one inch further forward, it would have gone right through her.

She took off at a run, tripping over roots but pushing herself forward. Every moment of Velocity she'd played with the captain paid off as she dodged tree-limbs shooting out at all heights, jumped over roots and bushes that suddenly appeared, and avoided getting impaled on rapidly growing trees. She fled blindly: jumping and ducking and rolling and diving and tripping and tumbling and then running again. Then skidding down a slope, into a tree that had not been there moments before, ducking as a branch shot out of it and then running past it, only to become caught in a bush of thorns, and then tangled in vines just as she managed to disentangle herself. She used her phaser to free herself from the vines and surged forward, trying to find any kind of a clearing to stand in, rock to hide behind. And then suddenly she was knee-deep in water. She'd plunged headfirst into some kind of mere. Only, it was not remaining a mere. She noticed that it was rapidly filling with water from the melted snow. The water was rising with alarming speed. She sloshed across it, and then swam across it. She noticed, with absurd detachment, that there were fish swimming beside her. Fish, on a planet that until recently had been devoid of any fauna besides the occasional insect. But there was no time to reflect on it. She reached the bank and sprinted forward, continuing to dodge plant life. And then at once everything was still.

She stood on a patch of earth, panting. Nothing moved. The jungle had formed. Overhead she thought she heard a bird.

"This is just ridiculous now," she said, to no one in particular. And her biosuit was wet again. She tapped her comm badge, and then realised it had been damaged by the water. She looked down at her tricorder, tucked away at her side, and pulled it out. It was likewise water-logged. She gave a deep sigh.

"If you are sentient," she said, to the planet at large, "you should be aware that there are preferable methods of first contact."

She removed the poncho and wrung it out. At least the weather was warmer. Now she just had to find her way back to camp.

* * *

Icheb had been expecting to find something strange. He'd walked the campsite flat, taking every measurement he could think of. Then he'd gone outside and measured around the ruins. He'd removed the energy reading from his data and then compared everything else to try and determine whether there was something different about the ruins compared to the cave. Then he'd walked out to the field – completely covered in snow – and he'd taken the same readings. He had managed to isolate a number of environmental factors and remove them, one at a time. It had been tedious work, but it had given him something to do.

And then, just when he'd thought all that time had been wasted, he noticed something odd. A particle reading he hadn't noticed before and was unfamiliar with. It was his Borg training that identified it. Whatever link he still had to the collective knowledge of the Borg knew what that reading was, and what it meant. The reading showed Tachyons. What it meant was…

He looked up at the sky, the sun was baking down. The snow was beginning to melt at his feet. He hoped he was wrong. He decided he'd hold off on saying anything to the others until he was more certain.

* * *

"Chakotay to Seven of Nine. Respond."

Nothing.

Chakotay glanced at Naomi, who was keeping pace beside him as they headed back to camp.

"She said she'd be back in a minute," Naomi said. "Maybe she just has to keep quiet for some reason."

Chakotay was not convinced. It had been at least 10 minutes since he'd told Seven to head back.

They had almost reached the cave when Chakotay stopped mid-stride, looking down at his feet. Naomi stopped next to him.

"Does it look to you like the snow is melting?" he asked her.

She nodded. They watched as the water seemed to drain away from their feet, leaving a layer of mud. It started to stream in rivulets downhill, back towards where the Flyer had been. Chakotay pulled out his tricorder and scanned the area. His brow furrowed.

"Now that is interesting," he said.

"What's happening?" Naomi asked.

There was no need for him to answer.

They stood motionless as they watched the entire area on the other side of the field suddenly come to life as plants shot out of the ground. The horizon quickly became a tangled blur of green. It was like watching the creation of a holoprogram.

"Isn't that where Seven is?" Naomi asked.

Chakotay looked down at her. He attempted to disguise the terror that shot through him at that thought, but was pretty sure his expression belied him.

"Go back to camp," he said calmly. "Tell Icheb we'll be back shortly."

And then he set off at a run, towards the rapidly-forming forest.


	15. Strange encounters

Seven pushed her way through the trees, suspecting that she was only growing increasingly lost. She kept telling herself that Voyager would return shortly and that they would be able to scan for her and beam her to safety. Of course, Voyager might only return late in the night. And in the meantime, Chakotay, Naomi and Icheb would worry about her.

She made a mental note to turn down the next away mission the commander suggested. It seemed that every time she agreed to accompany him off Voyager she ended up wondering through a jungle, lost. All right, so it had only happened one other time. But the resemblance was no less uncanny. Except this time there was no little Ventu girl about to come to her rescue.

That was not to say that Seven was entirely alone. Aside from the fish she'd spotted earlier, she had noticed small lizards darting through the undergrowth. She had also come startlingly close to grabbing hold of a snake, mistaking it for a vine as it twisted just above her head in the speckled light. It had looked at her accusingly as she'd hurried away. She could hear some kind of life up in the canopy too. She didn't know why she was surprised that the lifeless planet had suddenly produced abundant species of flora and fauna. It had not exactly set a precedent of doing the expected.

By Seven's estimation, her blind run had taken her directly into the valley she'd skirted earlier. If so, she should, technically, still be heading for the camp. It was impossible to confirm this though, since she couldn't see the sky or any kind of landmark. One scaly tree laden with vines was very much like another. One fern or cycad was indistinguishable from the next. She could have been walking in circles and never known it. It felt like she'd been at it for hours. Her legs were aching and her throat was parched, when she heard a familiar sound come floating to her through the surrounding greenery.

It was her name.

Commander Chakotay shouting her name.

She hurried towards the sound, calling back, "Here Commander!"

He came through the trees, his face flooding with relief when he saw her. She suspected her expression might have been something similar. He strode over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Are you alright? You didn't respond. I thought…"

"Fine, Commander. I…" she looked down at her biosuit, "ended up taking an unexpected swim."

He smiled, his face creasing in that wonderful way it did when he let down his guard.

"So much for keeping clothing dry."

She felt the corners of her own mouth twitch upwards as she inclined her head in acknowledgement of the humour in the situation. The poncho _had_ been a good idea. He had no way of predicting she'd have to wade through a lake.

He was still holding her, she realised. He seemed to realise it too and dropped his grip. He looked at their surroundings. Even though he had every reason to examine the jungle, Seven somehow suspected that he was avoiding looking at her. He held his tricorder out in front of him.

"Teaming with life," he said. "I thought it would be easy to find you – the only life sign on the entire planet. But this is remarkable."

Remarkable. If you hadn't been in the midst of it as it happened. They began making their way back towards the caves. Chakotay contacted Icheb over the comm to tell him that he'd found Seven. As they walked, Seven briefed Chakotay on her experiences since they'd last seen each other.

Seven was still uneasy. The changes that had happened so far had not seemed to have any reason or logic to them. There was no set amount of time between each change or way of predicting what might happen next. Chakotay, on the other hand, seemed rather cheerful. He appeared to be enjoying the jungle around them. He identified some fruit that would be safe to eat and gathered extra for the children. He also stopped to gather firewood. While Seven was anxious to get back to camp, Chakotay seemed eager to draw out the experience. Despite her annoyance, Seven couldn't help but notice how alive he became when in nature. The last time they'd wondered through an alien forest he'd been injured. Now, at full strength, he seemed to bask in it. He pointed out numerous plants that were similar to those he knew from his home planet. He found an orchid in the shade of a ginkgo tree and insisted they admire it. He took readings of the insects and even tracked one of the lizards to its home.

"An entire ecology in a matter of minutes," he said, watching the lizard scurrying into its hole. "Who'd have thought?"

"I still don't particularly think," Seven commented. "I don't believe any of this is natural. We should leave before the next change occurs."

He gave a sigh, but nodded.

He consulted his tricorder and picked a direction. Seven followed.

They entered a clearing. And came face-to-face with a monster.

The creature was the size of small shuttlecraft. It had scaly skin, a broad neck and tail, a rounded back and four stubby legs. Its back was lined with some kind of armour plating, kite-shaped and rising vertically. Seven reached for her phaser, but Chakotay put a hand on her arm, stopping her. She threw a panicked look at him. Starfleet compassion was all very well and good but this might be taking it a bit far.

They stood very still. The monster did likewise, eyeing them with two tiny eyes placed on either side of its long, narrow, skull.

"It's a herbivore," Chakotay breathed.

He took one of the pieces of fruit he'd collected and stepped gingerly towards the beast.

"Commander…" Seven cautioned, her hand tightening on the phaser.

The creature's eyes darted. It was clearly afraid. Chakotay began speaking to it in a soothing voice, trying to calm it. It was apparent to Seven, however, that the creature had no interest in discourse. It was treading the ground nervously. Chakotay held out the fruit. The creature's nostrils twitched. Its head moved slightly. And then it charged.

Chakotay fell backwards as Seven fired. A jet of orange light shot from her phaser and the creature collapsed. She hurried over to the Commander.

"Are you damaged?"

He was staring straight in front of him, at the downed creature.

"You shot it."

"It was going to trample you!" she said incredulously.

Chakotay ignored her, crawling over to the beast. The force of the blast had knocked it onto its side and it made a braying-like sound at his approach, legs kicking out wildly.

"Do you know what this is, Seven?" Chakotay asked. He looked up at her expectantly. She shook her head.

"It's a dinosaur," he said.

He touched its neck with reverence. The creature brayed again and twisted its head, trying to get a look at Chakotay.

"I've wondered about them my whole life. I never thought I'd get a chance to see one. Our holodeck recreations, from the bones, didn't nearly do them justice."

Seven was reminded of a conversation they'd had once had, when he'd disclosed that palaeontology had been his life-long dream. She went and knelt beside him.

"It will survive, Commander," Seven said. "The phaser fire only stunned it."

The dinosaur began twisting wildly as if trying to right itself. Its weight, bulk, and short legs presented an obvious challenge. While Seven felt that they should most certainly be nowhere in the vicinity when it did manage to get to its feet, she saw the commander's eyes darting about the forest around them. She knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"We have to help it."

She let out a resigned sigh. "How do you suggest we do that?"

He stood and went back to the firewood he'd gathered, that he had dropped when they'd seen the creature. He picked up a flatish piece and looked at it.

"It's got a tough hide. We could lever it over."

"And then what?" Seven asked, sceptical. "Allow it to charge over us?"

"It doesn't want to hurt us, Seven. It's just frightened."

"Fear is often the most effective weapon," she said.

Nevertheless, she began looking around them for a bigger lever. Something more sturdy than the stick Chakotay was recommending. Her eyes fell on the vines, draping the trees surrounding them.

"I have an alternative idea," she said.

"If you're going to suggest we go back to camp –"

"No, I'm going to suggest we attempt to create a rough pulley system. There's less risk of us injuring the animal further."

She could tell her answer had surprised him. Perhaps he had been prepared for an argument. She had had her fair share of arguments with the commander, but she knew that this was one she was unlikely to win. He cared too deeply.

They used their phasers to cut down some long, sturdy, vines and then Chakotay distracted the dinosaur by feeding it fruit, getting it to shift its weight enough for Seven to attach the vine around its upper torso. It was not the most pleasant task. Aside from the fact that the creature was constantly moving and threatening to squash her, it smelled incredibly unpleasant. Neelix had created a dish once that had involved lizard guts disguised as something else. The disguise had fooled no one and the smell had hung around the mess hall for days, despite the air cycling system's best attempts to get rid of it. Seven was taken immediately back to that moment.

Which meant they knew something else for certain. The animal was not a hologram. It was real.

"Have you considered, Commander," Seven said, trying to hide how out of breath she was, "what might happen to your friend when the weather changes again?"

His expression told her he hadn't considered that.

"Perhaps it won't," he said.

"Possible, but unlikely," she concluded, climbing to her feet and dusting herself off.

She flung the vines over two separate strong branches that stretched overhead and then the two of them each took an end and pulled.

The beast began to panic. It kicked out its legs and flung its neck wildly, making no attempt to get up, only to get away from the ropes that bound it.

"This isn't going to work," Seven said, letting go.

"Agreed." Chakotay looked most distraught at the idea. His mouth became a thin line and he put his hands on his hips, pacing around the animal. Seven noticed that it stilled upon seeing him.

"Commander," she said, getting his attention. "You should stay with it. Keep it calm."

"Don't be ridiculous. You can't pull it up by yourself."

She quirked an eyebrow, "I am Borg."

It was meant as a joke but she'd said it enough times and meant it seriously that he didn't take it as one.

"Even so…"

"Perhaps you can tempt it into assisting me. If it attempted to get up while I was pulling, it would cease to be a dead weight."

Chakotay nodded. "Fine. Let's try it."

He picked up another piece of the fruit and held it just out of the animal's reach. It strained its scaly neck, trying to get at it, then began trying to gain purchase with its feet again, kicking madly and rolling slightly. Seven pulled.

She pulled as hard as she'd ever pulled anything. Her muscles strained, she felt sweat prickling on her brow. She pulled her legs up, using her entire body weight. She heard an alarming creaking overhead and her eyes shot open. She looked up at the branch they'd used. It was protesting. And then Chakotay gave a whoop. Seven let go of the pulley and saw the creature was on its feet, ambling towards the commander who was holding out a piece of fruit. The dinosaur gently took the fruit from his hand, he beamed.

Seven watched him as he petted the beast. His exuberance was almost child-like. She found herself smiling, knowing he was too absorbed in the animal to notice. She didn't know why seeing him this way made her feel so happy, but she knew that she was pleased their plan had worked. He glanced up and she at once pulled a straight face again.

"We should return to the children," she said.

He gave a sigh, "You're right. We don't know when conditions are going to change again".

He gave the dinosaur a passing pat on the head, leaving it gobbling the pile of fruit he'd collected, and then gathered up his things again.

"You know," he said as they stepped back into the trees. "I know this hasn't been the most pleasant away mission, but it's been an amazing experience."

"Aside from part when you almost died?" Seven commented with raised eyebrows.

He chuckled. They walked in silence for a time before Chakotay spoke again. "You know, I don't think I ever thanked you."

"For what Commander?"

"For saving my life last night." He looked up at her and added, his eyes twinkling, "Despite what I _ordered_ you to do."

She purposefully looked away from him, at once embarrassed. "Voyager relies on your presence. I do not believe the ship could adjust to your absence. You serve a critical unifying role and-"

He took her arm, gently pulling her round to face him. He was looking at her intensely again. As he had done the previous night when he'd been concerned about her implant. Slowly his hand moved up to touch her cheek. His thumb traced over her bottom lip. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, much louder than the sounds of the forest around them. His eyes were moving over her features, as if he was trying to read them, looking for some reaction. She dared not even breathe. She felt that all her secrets – the things they'd done together on the holodeck, the way she felt about him – would tumble forth if she dare so much as utter his name. Instead, she reached up her own hand to cup his. His eyes flickered to the hand. Was it as sign to stop? Or to continue? His thumb started tracing over her fingers. And then he leaned in, his lips moving towards hers.

_Chirrup _"Icheb to Commander Chakotay, respond."

He pulled away quickly, the spell broken, and tapped his comm badge, "Chakotay here. Is something the matter?"

"No sir. It's gone the hour and you didn't check in. I wanted to make certain you were still alright."

Seven saw him take a deep, sobering, breath. "We're fine. We encountered some local wildlife. We'll tell you about it soon as we get back. Chakotay out."

He looked back at Seven and cleared his throat. She looked at her feet and shifted uncomfortably.

"We should return to camp," she said.

He nodded, eager to agree.

In the quiet that accompanied them the entire way back, Seven finally came to understand what people meant when they spoke of "awkward silences".

* * *

**A/N "Next time we deactivate the comm system"**


	16. Games

"You shot it?" Naomi asked incredulously.

"It was not listening to reason," Seven commented.

Chakotay brought a hand up to his mouth to try and hide his smile. "She didn't hurt it. It was just stunned."

They were sitting around the fire eating the final meal Chakotay had prepared for them – a vegetable stew with rice. Evening was falling and the air was still pleasantly warm. The fire, with the added wood they'd collected, served to provide light rather than warmth. The atmosphere was jovial.

"What if it followed you home?" Naomi asked when Chakotay completed the story.

He laughed. "I think we would have noticed if it had been following us. It was rather large."

"But maybe it's going to find us tonight while we're asleep!" Naomi said, losing yet another battle with her over-active imagination.

"We'll be keeping watch tonight for Voyager anyway, I'll be sure to wake you at the first sign of a dinosaur visitor."

Icheb shifted uncomfortably, drawing Chakotay's attention. "Are you alright Icheb? You've been rather quiet this evening."

"Are you still in pain?" Seven asked quickly.

"No, I'm fine," he said.

Chakotay and Seven had been avoiding making eye contact since they'd been back, but he caught the worried glance she shot him.

"Well," Chakotay said clambering to his feet, "I've got another treat for us before we turn in."

He retreated to the supply crate and came back with a container and four little skewers. He handed them out. Three sets of eyes stared at him quizzically. Then he opened the container. Marshmallows.

"On Earth it's traditional to melt marshmallows over a campfire."

He took a marshmallow and pushed it onto skewer to demonstrate, then held it over the fire. "If you do it just right you can melt the inside while keeping the outer crust hard. Just don't burn your mouth when you eat it."

Naomi was the most enthusiastic. She thrust the stick into the fire with such passion that the marshmallow fell off. Icheb followed Chakotay's example, but seemed to be going through the motions rather than being really interested. Seven seemed intrigued. She carefully pushed the marshmallow onto the stick and then held it towards the flames, raising her eyebrows at him to ask if she was doing it correctly. He knelt beside her and put a hand over hers, showing her the optimum height and distance.

It was a natural gesture, one he wouldn't have thought twice about before. But now the touch was like a bolt of electricity. He was speaking, explaining the need to keep the marshmallow close enough to the warmth to melt but far enough from the flames that it didn't burn, but his mind was on the feel of her skin, how close he was currently positioned to her. He pulled away, feeling inexplicably short of breath.

When had this happened? Had it been there, in the jungle, when all those excuses for saving his life had come tumbling from her mouth and he'd known not a single one was true? Or had it been before that, when Naomi had mentioned that Seven might have feelings for him? Or had it, in truth, started back on Ledos when she'd leaned over the injured Ventu girl and he'd seen her compassion up close for the first time?

He wished she was easier to read. For all he knew, Naomi was completely mistaken. Naomi _probably _was completely mistaken. Even now she was starting to tell a story about how she'd read that a child had once died by stuffing too many marshmallows into her mouth and they had melted into a goop that prevented her from breathing. Chakotay wasn't listening. His eyes were focused on Seven. Her entire attention was focused on her marshmallow. Her forehead slightly creased, her lips forming a small frown, her ice-blue eyes unwavering in their concentration. The gaze of the master chef.

"Do you want to play Kadis-Kot?" Naomi asked, suddenly.

Chakotay blinked, returning his attention to the child, "Sorry Naomi?"

"Kadis-Kot," she said. "I brought my board. I know Seven and Icheb like to play. I thought you might like to too."

"I um I'm not very good," he said.

"It doesn't matter." Naomi climbed to her feet and went off to dig her board out. "I'll help you. We can be on a team against Seven and Icheb."

Chakotay was going to protest but then he caught Seven looking at him with an eyebrow raised, "Intimidated?"

"No," he said, firmly, while letting a smile spread across his face.

"It's alright, Commander. If you don't wish to wound your pride…"

"Oh, you're that confident are you?" He asked.

She quirked her head slightly, "When I last played against Neelix, I defeated him sixteen to two. You might be out of your depth."

Naomi arrived back, carrying her board.

"You're right, Seven. You should probably play with Commander Chakotay," she said. "I'm still teaching Icheb too. We'd be more evenly matched."

It was then that they realised that Icheb was no longer sitting with them. He was standing at the mouth of the cave, staring at the sky.

Chakotay and Seven exchanged another concerned glance.

"You two set up the board," Chakotay said, getting to his feet. "Seven, keep an eye on that marshmallow, it's almost done."

He was rewarded with a startled look as she pulled her skewer out of the flames. He could tell she'd almost keen forgotten about it.

* * *

"If you're looking for Voyager, you're not going to see her until she's in orbit," Chakotay said as he approached Icheb.

The boy glanced over his shoulder, he looked troubled.

"I know that, Commander," he said, softly.

Chakotay stood beside him and looked up at the sky. It was awash with stars. The milky way wound itself across the heavens like a ribbon. He'd often looked at it from the Alpha Quadrant. It was strange to think that now he standing on the other side, looking back. There was a smudge almost directly overhead that must have been the nebula that Voyager had gone to study.

"It's beautiful," Chakotay said.

"It is," Icheb agreed. He still sounded sad somehow.

"Icheb," Chakotay said softly. He could hear Naomi and Seven talking about which colours they wanted to play and he kept his voice low so they wouldn't hear. "There's something bothering you. I can tell."

Icheb frowned, his eyes still focused on the sky. Then he turned to Chakotay and forced a smile, "I'm alright, Commander. Are we playing Kadis-Kot?"

Chakotay nodded, though he was unconvinced that Icheb was being honest.

"If something's bothering you, I'd like to know," he said.

Icheb's expression clouded. "Yes, sir," he said. Then he walked back into the cave, his smile returning.

"Whose team am I joining?"

"Mine," Naomi said with a mischievous smile. Chakotay saw her eyes twinkle and had a not-so-vague suspicion that he was being set up.

He hunkered down next to Seven, who was prodding her marshmallow experimentally.

"Is this correct?" she asked him.

"Looks good to me."

"How do I… eat it?" She asked, her face twisting in distaste as a string of melted marshmallow attached to her finger. She tried to shake it off and failed. The string broke and she pressed her fingers together, enthralled by the stickiness.

"Usually you just put it in your mouth," Chakotay said. He was seized by the sudden urge to take it off the skewer and feed it to her. He resisted. Aside from anything else, Naomi was watching them with a silly grin on her face. He didn't want to feed in to the child's imaginings. Literally or figuratively. What had gotten in to him?

Seven managed fine on her own, taking the sweet off the skewer and popping it into her mouth. Her expression was at first startled, as if she was shocked by the sweetness. Then she seemed confused by the texture. Then she swallowed, her expression almost quizzical.

"Intriguing," she concluded.

"Another?" he offered her the box. She surprised him by taking another marshmallow and spiking it. So the experience hadn't been that bad after all. He passed the container around. Naomi eagerly took another, but Icheb declined.

They started the game of Kadis-Kot. Chakotay was impressed by how fast Seven's mind worked. Her eyes analysed the patterns on the board before he'd even worked out whose turn it was. Once or twice he'd been about to move, when she'd touched his arm and shook her head slightly. Then indicated an alternative, smarter, move with her eyes.

Icheb was also adept at the mathematics of the game. Chakotay caught him smiling when he managed to best Seven a few times. Seven, for her part, did not seem displeased. Rather she seemed to take pride in his success. Naomi was a more strategic thinker than Icheb. She'd played the game for longer than either of them and her experience paid off more than once. Chakotay hated to admit it, but if he hadn't had Seven in his corner, he may very well have been out of his depth. Like Naomi, however, he prided himself on tactical thinking. He'd give ground if he knew it would pay off in the long run. The mathematics of the current move mattered little if it only served to trap one later.

All in all, the teams were evenly matched and the game lasted longer than was average. Victory would seem immanent for one team, only to be snatched away at the last minute by the other. Eventually it was Seven who gathered up the last pieces and declared, "Kadis-Kot!"

Chakotay watched Icheb's eyes widen in surprise. And then he nodded, understanding what she'd done.

"A good game," he said.

"Again!" Naomi said. "Please can we play another round?"

Chakotay looked to Seven.

She straightened. "You wish to challenge our victory?"

"Yes." Naomi said, straight faced, as if she was addressing a Klingon. She took one of their pieces and threw it down in front of her as a knight of old might throw down a glove.

Seven turned to Chakotay, "Do we accept?"

"Hmm," he said, looking at the piece. "I don't know, do you think we could win again?"

Seven didn't deign that with a response. Her glare said it all. He smiled broadly at her.

"I guess we'll have to see," he said.

They played a further two games. Naomi and Icheb won the first, so they needed to conduct a tie-breaker. The tie was broken with a rare smile from Seven, and another declaration of victory.

By that time Naomi was rubbing her eyes, though attempting to do it only when Chakotay wasn't looking at her.

"You are tired. We should turn in for the night," Seven said.

"But Voyager…" Naomi said, stifling a yawn.

"We'll wake you when we hear from them."

Naomi reluctantly agreed and packed up her board.

While she was away, Chakotay said softly to Seven, "You're good with her."

Seven shrugged, "We have developed a rapport. She and I were both, in a sense, born upon Voyager."

Chakotay raised his eyebrows. "Born?"

She nodded, looking down at the marshmallow skewer she still held in her hands. "When I was severed from the collective it was, in a way, akin to a re-birth. It was painful and startling. The beginning of my new life as a human. In that way Naomi and I are the same. You could say we are kin."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it," Chakotay said.

Seven was still staring down at her hands. He had the feeling she was trying to find the words to say more. He waited. Eventually her eyes flickered up to his.

"I don't believe _I_ ever thanked _you_."

"For what?" Chakotay was aware that the emphasis was intentionally echoing his words earlier, about her saving his life. But he didn't know what incident she could be referring to.

Her gaze dropped down again. "It was you who severed my connection to The Borg."

He had completely forgotten that. So much had happened since then. But now he recalled that final gambit that had involved him connecting to Seven via neural transceiver and B'Elanna sending a bolt of electricity through him that would short circuit her systems long enough to break the link.

He remembered how surprised he'd been when Kathryn had suggested they keep her on board after that. "She was assimilated at a very young age," he'd said. "The collective's all she knows. She might not want to stay."

It had been Kathryn who'd insisted that the power of friendship would be enough to keep her there. High, Starfleet, ideals. A few months later, when she'd fled to her parent's broken ship, he'd reiterated his doubts. He'd called the situation inevitable, spoke about her Borg nature. Again Kathryn had refused to accept that Seven could not become fully human. And when Seven had sacrificed herself to protect Voyager, going back to the Borg Queen, Chakotay had doubted her again. He'd even theorised that she'd been planning it all along. He'd reminded Kathryn how Seven had promised to betray them when given the chance.

He felt shame overwhelm him. He swallowed. He couldn't tell her, not now, how severing her from the collective had been an entirely selfish act. How he'd only had the good of Voyager in mind. He couldn't confess to her how often he'd given up on her.

"It was Captain Janeway who severed your connection, Seven. I was her means of committing the physical act. If anyone deserves your thanks it's her."

Seven inclined her head in acknowledgement. "All the same, Commander."

He watched her eyes flicker to the fire and down to her hands again. There was clearly still more she wanted to say, but she didn't get the chance. Naomi came back to them and began chattering about where she should put her sleeping bag.

Icheb had picked up a PADD and was sitting against the wall near the cave entrance, engrossed in it.

"I'll take first watch," Chakotay volunteered to Seven.

They'd told Naomi they'd be watching for Voyager. That was only partly true. They both shared the same concerns. This planet now sported life. There was no guarantee that all of it was as friendly as the dinosaur they'd met earlier. She gave a brief nod.

Chakotay went and joined Icheb. He sat beside him in complete silence as Naomi and Seven set up their sleeping bags and went to sleep.

Eventually, when he thought they most certainly were asleep, he ventured, "So are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

His voice was so low that he doubted even Seven, with her enhanced senses, would have been able to hear him, even if she'd been awake.

Icheb looked up from the PADD, staring straight ahead. "I'd prefer not to."

"Do I need to remind you that I'm your commanding officer?" Chakotay asked.

Icheb's eyes met his. They had that same almost robotic look that Seven sometimes got, when her mind was running numbers and human interaction had been given the lowest possible priority.

"I don't think Voyager is coming," he said.


	17. Cause and effect

Morning brought with it a humidity worthy of Risa. Chakotay awoke with a start, feeling like he was suffocating in the hot, sticky, air. Dawn was just creeping over the horizon.

There had been no sign of Voyager.

Chakotay rubbed his neck and tried to blink away sleep. He had fallen asleep sitting up, leaning against the wall next to Icheb, searching the sky and hoping the boy was mistaken. As punishment for falling asleep on the job he now had a nasty crick in his neck. Icheb was nowhere to be seen.

Chakotay threw a glance at the sleeping bags – Seven and Naomi were still slumbering – and climbed to his feet, his muscles protesting.

Icheb was exactly where he'd expected to find him, kneeling beside the obelisk running his tricorder over it.

"Morning Commander," he said brightly.

"Did you sleep at all?" Chakotay asked, trying to rub a knot out of his shoulder.

"I do not require more than a few hours of sleep a week," Icheb commented without looking up.

"When you're able to regenerate."

Chakotay's words were heavy with meaning and that was enough to make Icheb pause in his work for a moment.

"Are you going to tell the others?" he asked, still without looking up.

"I think _you_ should." Chakotay said.

* * *

Seven was annoyed at first, when Chakotay woke her and she discovered that it was morning. They'd agreed he'd wake her at midnight so she could take over the watch. Her discontent dissipated though when she saw the look on his face. She'd become adept at reading his expressions over the years. This one meant bad news.

"What's happened?" She sat up quickly, so quickly that her head spun. She ignored it.

"Nothing's happened," the commander said. Though he was frowning in a way that indicated that might be the very problem.

"Voyager?"

"Icheb has a theory."

They woke Naomi, who was also immediately full of questions.

Gathered like attendees at a lecture – if the lecture hall was a cave and the chairs were sleeping bags – the three of them sat and listened to Icheb.

Like the lecturer, he was pacing, holding a PADD, staring off into the middle-distance.

"We've been going about this wrong," he started off by saying. "We've been assuming that everything we've experienced is a random sequence of events."

He paused, as if searching for the right words. Eventually he said, "I've got a theory, and you're not going to like it."

"Where's Voyager?" Naomi asked. "Are they okay?"

Icheb threw a look at her that told her to keep quiet, but she wasn't so easily diverted.

"They should be here by now," she insisted.

Icheb only shook his head.

"I believe they will be here at the appointed time… but _we_ won't. At least not anymore." He frowned. Naomi looked terrified.

"I'm not explaining this very well," Icheb said.

"Proceed," Seven encouraged.

He swallowed.

"I believe we've been seeing the events on this planet as random because we are used to a system of cause and effect. Normally we see the cause, and _then_ we see the effect. What if it was the other way round? What if we've just been looking at it backwards?"

Seven furrowed her brow. "You are correct, you are not explaining your ideas effectively."

Icheb's mouth became a thin line. "An example then. Our first evening here, the commander started battling to breathe and you discovered that he was suffering from oxygen toxicity. Then it started snowing. Now, Commander, you tutored me in geology and climatology for my Academy entrance exam. Isn't it so that when the atmosphere of a planet changes that can trigger an ice age?"

"It's one of the triggers, yes," Chakotay agreed.

"Now we've been asking ourselves why the oxygen levels rose so quickly for no apparent reason. But shortly after they did, plant life started springing up, seemingly at random. Does it not make more sense that the increased plant life would lead to an increase in oxygen? "

"Such changes usually take millennia," Chakotay pointed out.

"Yes and they usually happen in the right order," Icheb agreed. "The atmospheric conditions are back to normal, back in balance, now. I've been watching the readings. Not only are we breathing the air effectively, but the dinosaurs are too. It seems strange, looking at it in the order we've been experiencing it. But if you look at it backwards, consider that when the dinosaurs die out there won't be much life consuming oxygen and producing methane and carbon dioxide. Which would _lead_ to the atmospheric imbalance that affected the commander and the climate. CH4 and CO2 are, after all, greenhouse gasses. When their levels dropped, due to the dinosaurs going extinct, the planet would automatically cool. Which it did. We only _experienced_ it first."

There was silence. Seven felt Chakotay's eyes on her, waiting for her opinion.

"It's an intriguing idea," she said. That was putting it mildly. "But there's a flaw. We aren't experiencing anything in reverse."

"Commander Chakotay said the same thing. He asked how come you didn't see the plants going back into the ground, why your interactions with the dinosaur didn't see it getting younger and smaller."

"And?" she prompted.

Icheb sighed. "I am uncertain. That's what I've been out there," he gestured to the cave entrance, "attempting to work out."

He looked around at their faces. "I… I know the idea sounds ridiculous. But it would explain why the Flyer disappeared and why Voyager hasn't come back for us."

"Another flaw," Seven said. "How come the Flyer disappeared and our equipment here in the cave did not?"

"My working theory is that the cave is somehow shielded from the effect. That it's part of whatever those ruins are."

"Will we meet the people who used to live here?" Naomi asked.

Seven glanced down at her. Bright child, Seven hadn't even thought of that.

"Naomi has a point," Chakotay said. "If we're going backwards through their planet's history we should have surely encountered them before we came across the dinosaurs."

"I don't have those answers," Icheb said, sounding slightly exasperated. "But look at this."

He handed Seven the PADD. On it was a list of readings he'd taken of the area inside the cave, at the ruins just outside and in the field. He'd picked up something she'd missed. Tachyons.

She looked up at him, fear beginning to cut in to her.

"What is it?" Naomi asked.

Chakotay took the PADD.

"Tachyons," he said, reading off the screen. "Otherwise known as signs of time travel."

"They are usually caused by temporal distortions," Seven explained further, though her eyes were still fixed on Icheb. She addressed him, "Your conclusion is that in tampering with the obelisk, I may have inadvertently sent us back through time?"

"My conclusion is that _something_ is _sending_ us back through time. I may not have all the answers, but I can tell you one thing. I spent most of last night comparing the star charts we have of this system and the sky as I can see it from here. We're about two billion years early for our rendezvous with Voyager."

* * *

**A/N the plot thickens! I really hope that makes some kind of sense. It's not a final explanation by any means, just what Icheb has picked up ****_so far_****. If you are confuzzed, please hang in there for a few more chapters! (There are only a few more chapters to go).**

**Talking of chapters, Cheshire Cheese has done the most adorable illustration of the one before last (with the dinosaur). She has it up on her Deviant Art page. Please go take a look!**

ytcyberpunk dot deviantart dot com [slash] art [slash] Humility-Before-Nature-366900169


	18. Natural Forces

The idea of being stuck on a world moving backwards through time at a rapid pace was terrifying. But fear was one emotion that Seven was relatively accomplished at controlling. Her life – since that fateful day when she'd first lost her humanity to the Borg – had been an almost endless stream of frightening circumstances that needed to be overcome. A new enemy would be identified, and she would work to defeat it. That was one thing that had not changed when she'd joined Voyager. Problems arose, the collective would develop a solution, she'd contribute what she could and they'd emerge victorious. There was no point getting caught up in the drama of what might be. The Borg didn't operate in the long term. They knew what was needed now and they actioned it.

Seven may not have had the words to comfort Naomi – who was trying to come to terms with the fact that she might never see her mother again – or the sensitivity to work out what Chakotay needed – he'd been sullen and quiet since Icheb had spoken to them, sitting alone lost in his own thoughts – but she did have pragmatism, and she had it in droves.

They did not know when the planet would change, or what would trigger the change. They did know that _at the moment_ there were resources in abundance._ At the moment_ the resources within the cave were untouched by the time shift. So, she stuck her phaser in her belt, put a tricorder in the pocket at her side, and headed off, back towards the jungle.

She passed Icheb, busy at work in the ruins. He was sweating profusely, his pale skin rosy under the baking sun.

"Where are you going?" He asked, shielding his eyes.

"Since we might be here a while, I thought it prudent to collect resources."

"Alone?"

She knew she should take the commander with her, but the idea gave her an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. If she asked him to accompany her back to the jungle, would he think she had an ulterior motive? Every time she thought of it - walking with him among the trees - her mind skipped forward to him looking at her like that again, his fingers brushing her cheek, and then his lips on hers. Perhaps he would press her against the trunk of a tree, overwhelmed by passion, and his fingers would tangle in her hair and…

She felt colour rise to her cheeks as she came back to herself. Icheb looked concerned.

"Seven, are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"Fine," she said quickly. "The heat… is discomforting."

He frowned slightly.

"Someone should accompany you," he said.

"Unnecessary."

She strode away, before he had a chance to query further

* * *

Commander Chakotay came outside a little while later. He was holding a stone and a tricorder. He stopped in front of Icheb, in roughly the same position Seven had.

"I thought Seven was out here with you," he said.

Icheb shook his head. "She has gone to gather supplies."

"Alone?"

Icheb found the question curious because quite obviously she had not taken him, and Naomi was in the cave. He was opening his mouth to respond when Chakotay breathed a deep sigh, turned and walked away.

Icheb shrugged.

A short time passed before another shadow fell over Icheb. He looked up to see Naomi standing before him. She was opening her mouth to ask something when he cut her off.

"They've gone to gather supplies. Well, Seven's gone to gather supplies. Commander Chakotay has gone to lecture Seven about the chain of command."

A slow smile spread across Naomi's face.

"They're alone, together, in the jungle?" she asked.

Icheb looked back at his work. "Isn't that what I said?"

She came and hunkered down next to him. "I told you. Something happened yesterday. Did you see how they didn't look at each other?"

"Don't start on that again."

Icheb was finding it difficult to function in the extreme heat. His mood was suffering as a result.

"I'm telling you. In fact I'll bet you. I'll bet you an entire week of replicator rations."

He looked up at her, trying to read her expression.

"Naomi… "

She seemed to realise what she'd said, but she was trying to keep a straight, emotionless, face.

"Voyager will find us," Naomi insisted. "They'll work out what's happened and come look for us."

Icheb opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again. He could explain to her how even if Voyager did figure out - somehow - that they'd gone back in time, it would be impossible to trace when exactly they were. He could point out to her that eventually their journey backwards was likely to end. Time wasn't, as the saying went, on their side. He could also mention how Voyager had no way to travel through time on command, even if they did overcome the other obstacles. He could say all these things, but even an ex-Borg could see that Naomi was barely holding herself together.

"Perhaps," he said at length.

* * *

Seven was tying a vine around a pile of wood she'd gathered – to make it easier to carry – when Chakotay found her.

"Mind telling me what you're doing?' he asked, without preamble.

"I am gathering resources," she said, without looking at him. She placed the bundle of wood aside, on top of another similar bundle.

"And the chain of command? That's irrelevant now is it?" he asked.

She glanced up at him. He'd removed the red and black Starfleet jacket and was garbed in the standard grey sleeveless undershirt, which still hung open slightly where she'd torn it. She could see he was annoyed and she immediately regretted leaving without saying anything to him. She should have informed him at least. Too late now though.

She took a branch she'd severed and broke it over her knee.

"You may not have noticed, Commander. We're no longer on a Starfleet vessel. Nor is there much chance of us being on one in the future."

He stepped closer.

"Why are you acting like this? Are you upset about Voyager? Is that it?"

She avoided looking at him, focusing entirely on what she was doing.

"I merely fail to see how the established hierarchy can continue to function."

She was going to add that with two adults and two children there wasn't much of a command structure, or make a snarky comment about whether he'd start issuing orders to Naomi soon, when he grabbed hold of her upper arm, pulling her round to face him.

Electricity jumped between them. Her breath caught.

"Fine." Chakotay said. "No hierarchy. But then this becomes a democracy. You still consult me. We need to keep tabs on each other. What if something had happened to you?"

"I have a phaser."

He raised his eyebrows.

She pulled herself free of him and began to stack the wood into another pile. Why was her mouth suddenly so dry? She swallowed. She could feel his eyes on her.

And then he was standing beside her, helping her stack the wood. They worked in complete silence, breaking the branches into even pieces and then stacking those pieces into piles and binding them together. Seven realised that he was following her lead. In a sense, deferring to _her_ command.

"I believe one of us should gather food," she said at length.

"Agreed," he said. "The work would go quicker if we did it together though."

She inclined her head.

He suggested, "We'd need something to collect the food in. I noticed some large leaves a way back. We could use them to create a rough basket."

"Inventive," she commented.

The air felt thick and Seven wasn't sure whether it was because of the humidity or the tension brought on by the commander's presence. The silence as they worked – creating the baskets and then travelling between the trees searching for edible fruit, roots and the like – was not the same awkward silence that they'd shared the day before. Nor was it exactly comfortable, at least for Seven.

"I started analysing the rocks back at the cave," Chakotay said eventually. "I think if I had enough time I could probably use them to predict what will happen next. The history of a world is stored in its sediment after all."

Seven was intrigued, "You'd be able to work out how long each period would last?"

"Possibly."

"That would be helpful," she said.

They worked in silence for a moment longer when Chakotay abruptly threw down his basket and turned to face her, "This is ridiculous!"

She jumped, startled by his sudden fierceness.

"Look," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "It's clear I've made you uncomfortable. We keep tip-toing around each other. We're going to need to stop doing that if we're going to survive on this planet. Can we just go back to how things were yesterday? Before…" he let the sentence trail.

She blinked, then her eyes widened. He looked at her quizzically, then seemed to realise she was staring over his head. He turned around.

Above the trees, Seven could make out the head of the largest creature she had ever seen. It was not looking towards them and seemed as yet unaware of them. Its huge head was the shape of a crocodile's, but it possessed the gullet of a pelican. Later Seven would describe it to Naomi as a dragon – for that was the only suitable description.

"Is this creature likewise a vegetarian?" Seven asked, hopefully.

"Can you see its teeth?"

"Yes."

"I think you can draw your own conclusion."

They watched, mortified, as it seemed to turn towards them in slow motion – perhaps catching their scent on the wind. Seven drew her phaser, almost automatically. They felt more than saw its small eye focussing on them. And then it started moving towards them.

Chakotay seemed to break out of his reverie. He turned to her, his face at least two shades paler than it had been.

"Run."

Even as he said it, he came dashing towards her. He seized her hand, knocking the phaser out of it, and pulled her along with him. And then they were racing through the greenery, jumping over roots, ducking under branches, the whole jungle passing in a green blur. Seven stumbled, but that didn't slow them. Chakotay hauled her to her feet and they kept going. He tripped but didn't even land before she was tugging him forward. Behind them they could feel the ground shudder with each step the giant creature took.

"We cannot outrun it!" Seven said, in between gasps for breath.

They came bursting through the trees and found themselves on a ledge above the lake – now far greater and deeper than the mire Seven had plunged into the day before. Chakotay looked at her. She looked at him. They jumped.

Seven felt the air get knocked out of her as she slammed into the water. She managed to gasp in a single breath before she was plunging down, into the depths, Chakotay still clutching her hand. He pulled her deeper and deeper, and closer to the edge, so they were positioned roughly underneath the ledge, their scents disguised by the water.

Seven started to feel panic flood through her. When would she be able to breathe again? There wasn't enough air in her lungs. She'd have to go up for air. She began fighting against Chakotay's grip, flailing wildly. He pulled her to him, placing a hand over her mouth and wrapping his other arm around her, holding her still. He looked meaningfully into her eyes. If she didn't stop struggling their rouse wouldn't work. A loud cry echoed through the water. Then there was a splash. Seven felt her eyes grow wider, but Chakotay held her securely, moving slowly backwards into the plant-life that trimmed the river edge. There was a great deal of splashing somewhere behind them. Another frustrated cry and then the splashing stopped. The monster had clambered back onto land and had gone in search of an alternative meal. Chakotay let their bodies rise slowly to the surface again. He still held Seven tightly, but removed his hand from her mouth as soon as they reached the surface. She heaved in air.

They waded to the bank and climbed out. And then laughter seemed to bubble up inside Seven, out of nowhere. It became uncontrollable, bursting forth like a force of nature. Why, she didn't know. Possibly because of oxygen deprivation, possibly because of the sheer absurdity of everything that had happened, possibly because it had been a while since she'd last regenerated and she was over tired. When she doubled over, Chakotay was concerned. He held her shoulders, asking if she was okay. She tried to pull air into her lungs so that she could answer him. She gripped his arm for support.

"I just… can't seem to… stay dry…" she said.

It didn't sound funny, not nearly funny enough to justify her laughter. But he raised his eyebrows and then he was laughing too, and then she was collapsing backwards, into the mud, and that was also funny. And he was falling down with her, his own laughter feeding off hers as a bush fire might feed off dry grass. And he was leaning over her and they were both laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of everything. And then his finger was tracing down her cheek.

"You're covered in mud again," he said.

And she was tracing the pattern of his tattoo, unabashed. The laugher died away as they lay like that, face-to-face, having been chased by a dinosaur through an alien jungle on a planet that, for some reason, had them going through time backwards.

It would be difficult for things to get more ridiculous, Seven thought. The temptation to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him was almost overwhelming.

But her node… her node would not allow it. Perhaps it was already malfunctioning and that's why she had collapsed in laughter the way she had.

Chakotay tucked an escaped strand of hair behind her ear. She turned her head away from his touch. He took the hint, sitting up and clearing his throat.

"We should try and retrieve our supplies. Get back to camp."

She nodded, sitting up herself, "I'm less comfortable with leaving the children alone, now we've confirmed that there are predators roaming the planet."

"Agreed."

He climbed to his feet and offered her a hand. His smile was warm. She took it, rising with as much dignity as she could muster.

"Commander…" she said as they started back towards where they'd abandoned their supplies – hopefully they'd be able to find them without the use of their tricorders.

"If you're against a hierarchical system you should probably just call me Chakotay," he said.

Her step faltered.

"Chakotay," she said, testing the word. It felt strange to say it aloud, despite her time in the holodeck. She checked his face, as if waiting for a reaction. There was none. He seemed to be waiting expectantly for whatever it was she wanted to say.

She returned her gaze to her feet, "Would it be possible to not mention this incident to the children?"

"What, the dinosaur?"

"No… the laughter."

He didn't answer immediately.

Eventually he asked, "Why are you ashamed of it?

Without quite meeting his eyes she attempted to explain, "It is not… normal. I may be malfunctioning. I don't want to cause them concern."

Chakotay stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her with his brow furrowed. "It's perfectly normal, Seven. It's called 'the giggles'."

"The… giggles?"

"A fit of prolonged, uncontrollable laughter. "

"It has never happened before."

"Maybe you've just never encountered a situation that warranted it."

Off-hand she could think of one. Chakotay, careening into her, on the holodeck and the two of them tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

"All the same," she said. "I'd prefer to keep it between us."

She didn't like the idea of the children – the two people in the galaxy who looked up to her – knowing that she'd lost control like that.

"Your secret's safe with me," he said.

She could tell he was suppressing a smile, his dimples were on display.


	19. Chaos and order

Naomi was sitting watching Icheb when she saw Seven and Chakotay approaching across what had been the field (and was now a stretch of nondescript dirt). Their silhouettes were walking close together – though not touching (she noted with some disappointment). The larger one – no doubt Commander Chakotay – was carrying something large in either hand. Seven was holding something in front of her with both hands. The two appeared to be talking and Naomi thought – or perhaps hoped – they might be laughing.

"You shouldn't stare," Icheb commented, without looking up.

"I'm n- how did you know?"

He rewarded her with a slight smile, "You were silent."

She pouted. "If I was annoying you, you should have said something."

"If I'd managed to get a word in edgewise, I would have," he retorted.

Naomi put her hands on her hips, in an unconscious imitation of Captain Janeway. Then she realised he was teasing her.

"Well someone has to teach you the social graces," she said.

"Oh, is that what you call it?"

He glanced up at her and she saw humour dancing in his eyes. She stuck out her tongue at him.

"And that's graceful is it?" he quipped.

Naomi would have responded, but she realised that Seven and the commander were in ear shot.

"Did you see another dinosaur?" She called to them.

They seemed to exchange a glance. It was the commander who answered.

"Only one the size of a cargo bay."

Naomi's mouth dropped open. She immediately wanted to know everything. She rushed up to them, helping them carry the wood and food they'd collected back to the cave.

It was dark and cool after a day in the sun.

Icheb's work had not been at all interesting to Naomi. He was just taking readings and writing things into a PADD and then comparing other things. He refused to explain what he was doing, so she'd been forced to do all the talking. She'd told him the story of the planet they'd all been stranded on shortly after she'd been born, and how Voyager had still managed to rescue them. She told him about the dinosaur people they had met – who had descended from the dinosaurs on Earth and taken to the stars millennia ago. She also told him a few stories about time travel. She wasn't sure if all of them were true, but she knew they gave her a hopeful feeling. None of those stories compared to being chased through the forest by a dinosaur and having to hide in the lake until it went away, though.

None of those made her feel as terrified. What if it came after them?

"We'd see it approaching," Chakotay assured her. "We'll keep a constant watch".

"It is unlikely to come here," Seven said. "It has abundant food sources much closer to its current location."

Naomi suspected Seven was just trying to put her at ease.

"Did you find anything?" Chakotay asked her, stacking the wood against the one cave wall.

"I don't know," Naomi said. "Icheb's just been walking around those ruins taking readings."

The commander looked sympathetic. "That doesn't sound very entertaining. I'm going to look at some rocks – see what they can tell us about what's coming. You're welcome to join me. We can get in a geology practical. I did promise you a learning experience didn't I?"

Naomi wasn't sure about the sound of that. She'd always preferred the reports for the commander's palaeontology class that involved humanoids or, at the very least, animals.

"Rocks?" she asked.

He seemed to sense her reluctance, or else her expression had given her away.

"It's not compulsory," he said.

"Thanks, Commander." She said, taking care to remember her manners. "I think Icheb needs me to keep him company. I can keep watch for dinosaurs too, if you like? He might not see them, being so absorbed in his readings."

"Good idea," Chakotay said. "We wouldn't want one to sneak up on us."

He took his phaser from his belt and adjusted the settings. Naomi suspected he was adjusting it to be the lowest possible stun. Then he handed it to her, his expression sober.

"Of course, you'll call for us immediately if you see anything. But it's standard procedure for the officer on watch to be armed."

Naomi felt her eyes grow wide as she accepted the weapon. She'd never held one before. She wasn't sure she'd even be able to shoot it should it come to that. And he'd used to word "officer". She nodded solemnly, feeling like a huge responsibility had just been placed on her shoulders.

"I won't let you down, sir," she said.

"I know you won't," he answered. "Dismissed."

She turned smartly and walked, with as much grace as she could muster, till she reached the mouth of the cave. Then she ran to join Icheb, waving the phaser wildly.

* * *

Chakotay was aware of Seven eyeing him quizzically from where she stood making an inventory of their supplies.

"You don't approve?" he asked.

"I am not certain Ensign Wildman would approve of you handing her daughter a weapon."

"It's set to stun," Chakotay said. "She's not going to be using it. At least not any time soon. In the meantime I don't see any harm in making her feel useful."

The unspoken words were, of course, that they were going to be here for the foreseeable future and Naomi would, eventually, have to learn to defend herself.

"Perhaps," Seven said. She looked down at her PADD again.

He thought she was done, but she continued after a brief pause. "You are a constant conundrum, Chakotay."

"Oh?"

He noticed the use of his first name. He didn't know why it made his stomach leap a little. She certainly didn't mean it intimately. It's what they'd agreed she'd call him from now on. The idea of being called his rank for the rest of his life was not a pleasing one.

"I mean no offence," she said, quickly. "Only that I find your actions increasingly difficult to predict. You expound on the idea of peace and speak constantly of diplomacy, and yet…" he watched as her brow furrowed. "At your core, you are… something different."

"You know, Seven, you're more astute than people give you credit for," he said.

Her words troubled him more than he wanted to let on. He picked up one of the rock samples he'd taken earlier and began running his tricorder over it, studying its composition.

"Your tattoos," Seven said, suddenly. "What do they signify?"

He looked up, caught off guard by the _non sequitur_.

"You have tattoos, on your back. What do they signify?"

"You noticed those did you?"

She looked away. He drew a deep breath.

"The one on my shoulder doesn't mean anything. I got it when I entered the Academy - the culmination of a dream for me. A bunch of cadets in my year wanted to commemorate the occasion somehow. We were young and foolish. Someone else chose the design. I don't know what it's supposed to mean, but for me it's become a symbol of my own recklessness. A constant reminder to keep it in check."

Seven raised her eyebrows, "You could have had it removed."

He shrugged, "It's a part of me now."

"A conundrum," Seven repeated. He saw a flicker of a smile – just a flicker – as she added, "I have trouble imagining you as a reckless teenager."

"Honestly? I thought you'd be the first to point out that I haven't changed much. A few weeks ago I got us trapped on Ledos, last year it was within a subspace mass chasing dreams. Now? On a planet moving backwards through time- "

"- You can't blame yourself for this," Seven said, cutting him off.

"I should have been more cautious," he insisted.

"In retrospect. But your heart was in the right place."

Those were big words coming from Seven of Nine. He wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"And the other?" She asked, looking down at her PADD and punching something in. He got the feeling she was doing so in a bid to seem casual. He was surprised that the tattoos had intrigued her so.

"It's personal," he said, not unkindly.

"Forgive me," she said quickly. "I shouldn't have asked."

"No, I just mean… it's complicated."

He felt immediate regret at dismissing her question. He had put so many barriers in place over the years, trying to keep people out. He wondered, sometimes, if he still had the ability to let people in.

"It's the conundrum," he said softly. Her eyes moved to his, she seemed surprised that he had answered, yet confused as to his meaning.

"That's what the other tattoo on my back represents. That conundrum you mentioned. The surface calm versus…"

He smiled wanly, looking down at the rock on his lap. "I am two people, at any given time. My inner self is a fiery warrior. Angry, passionate. Chaotic. Looking for a cause, a fight. I entered Starfleet seeking to give him a mission or, if I'm completely honest, an excuse. I thought that through my intensive training, the hierarchical structure of my life, I could keep him in check. It worked, but only insofar as a cage can keep a wild animal at bay. When the Cardassians attacked my homeworld, he was all too willing to break free. He would kill without mercy, if the cause was right. He was dangerous. That made him valuable. It also made him a risk. A fire can only roar so long before it burns itself out, or someone else gets hurt.

"I took on a mission once. One I shouldn't have. We were attacking a Cardassian cargo ship. They were, apparently, carrying weapons from the Cardassian government to our enemies. They were also transporting a number of civilians. Our mission was to eliminate the threat, by any means necessary. Even if that meant taking innocent lives. I knew what I was doing when I accepted the mission. I knew that they were asking me to murder. I didn't care: one Cardassian is very like another, I reasoned. They had killed countless innocents, tortured countless more.

"I was there, in my ship, firing upon them. I swooped down underneath to deliver a final volley – their weapons were no match for ours – when I saw, for some inexplicable reason, they'd painted a snake over one of the cargo bay doors. It may have been a logo for the trading company, or perhaps it was some Cardassian sign I was unfamiliar with. All I know is that at that moment I realised that in firing upon them, I was firing upon my own spirit..."

He stopped, he'd been about to reveal that the snake was his animal guide. He'd been so wrapped up in the story, and she'd been listening so intently, that he had almost slipped.

He continued, carefully, "You see, Seven... that symbol has special meaning to me. Seeing that particular symbol, painted on the hull of that ship, was the wake-up call I needed. I needed to remember what it was I was fighting for. The fiery warrior was fighting out of hatred and anger. He wanted nothing more than revenge. But that wasn't the cause I'd signed up for. I'd signed up for a cause that protected innocents, not destroyed them. I'd signed up for the Maquis to fight injustice, not commit it. If I had taken the lives of innocents, I would have become just that which I was fighting.

"So I had the tattoo printed on my spine – one of the most painful places – and I did it the old fashioned way, with needles. I wanted to remember the pain, remember there was a line I could not cross. The lines in the design represent the two sides of me – the chaos and the order – intertwining in the shape of a snake. The order controls the chaos. The chaos, when harnessed, can lead to passion and conviction. I need to maintain balance."

He stopped, with a small smile. Seven was still looking at him attentively. She didn't speak.

"You probably find it all irrational – " he started to say.

" – on the contrary," she put in. Her expression became contemplative.

"I can… identify with your story. There is a part of me that still resists individuality. A part that whispers that perhaps being Borg is preferable. Still. After all this time. There is no pain once you are a member of the collective. There is no conflict or fear. Or societal niceties and complex social structures to navigate. No need for self-confidence or self-expression. No misunderstandings. But the cost for that life is that you must take other lives. You give up your… spirit. Perhaps your 'fiery warrior' is merely seeking the same assurances that my Borg does. Perhaps all he really wants is safety? If you are striking out at the world, you make a poor target when the world seeks to strike back at you."

He stared at her. How had he never seen this before? How perceptive she was. How sensitive. He knew the answer, of course. Hadn't she just told him? She may have been free of her physical Borg exoplating, but she'd merely replaced it with a psychological one. If she came across as an automaton, it was entirely intentional. It was impossible to hurt a drone's feelings.

"Commander?" she prompted. "If I said something to – "

"No," he said quickly. "No, I just, you..."

He knew he was fumbling, so he stopped, drawing a breath. "You're remarkable," he said.

He let the words hang there. He watched as panic flitted over her face. She wasn't used to receiving compliments. Of course she wasn't. And compliments required a specific set of reactions.

"I don't understand," she said.

He smiled, trying to keep his face open, "I just mean that… over the last few days… I've seen a different side of you that I didn't know existed."

And then the earth moved.

Seven stumbled, grabbing onto the wall for support. Chakotay leapt to his feet.

The earth moved again.

"Naomi!" Seven called.

Chakotay knew she was thinking that perhaps they had a giant dinosaur visitor. Then the ground beneath them started shaking in earnest. Chakotay saw Naomi appear in the cave mouth, looking panicked.

And then the sky fell.

* * *

**A/N: I hope y'all like long conversations, because I sure do ^_^ **

**The snake being Chakotay's animal guide was apparently mentioned in some book so I just went with it (thanks Memory Beta). The tattoo on his back thing was the result of a typo, but yea why not? I mean he does have that dark Maquis past and there's that whole thing about being an angry warrior that he says to Janeway many seasons ago. Perhaps Chakotay and Seven have more in common than we gave them credit for in our "WTF" moments during Endgame :). **


	20. Mechanics

"Seven!"

The panicked voice belonged to Commander Chakotay.

"Here," she coughed.

The air was thick with dust. She'd landed on her knees, covering her head with her arms as rubble had rained down from on high. And then there had been darkness and eventually stillness. The cave entrance was now completely blocked by rock. In fact, Seven was pretty sure most of the cave was now blocked by rock. The shaking had been no dinosaur. It had been an earthquake. The earthquake had caused a cave-in.

Somewhere in the darkness there was a flicker of light. Then Chakotay's face floated into being. He'd found one of the torches. He saw her and the Chakotay-face seemed to flood with relief.

"Are you alright?"

"I appear to be undamaged," she said, getting to her feet. She brought her hand to her chest, hitting her comm badge.

"Seven of Nine to Icheb, report."

"Seven!" Icheb's voice was unsteady and she felt a surge of panic. Then he continued, "We saw the cave-in, we thought… is the commander okay?"

"Fine. Naomi?" Seven remembered the girl had been standing in the entrance just before everything collapsed.

"Yes, she's here. She's fine."

Thank whatever powers that be for small mercies.

"What happened?" she asked.

She knew Icheb would have answers. He didn't disappoint.

"Seismic activity. But I don't understand. The cave should be protected from the effects, I mean our supplies… it doesn't make any sense."

"We don't know how long this place has been here," said Chakotay. "Perhaps whatever protects it is beginning to disintegrate. The ruins aren't exactly in perfect shape."

The ground shook again, though not as violently as before. Seven flailed to steady herself and ended up grabbing hold of the commander. They stared at each other for a beat, before he said, to Icheb over the comm, "Naomi has my phaser. If you set it on full and fire at the rocks by the entrance it should vaporise them. We'll stand clear."

"Understood," Icheb said.

They heard him saying something to Naomi. Chakotay moved Seven backwards, right to the back of the cave. They heard the unmistakable sound of phaser fire. But it didn't appear to do anything, at least from their side.

"I don't understand," came Icheb's voice.

"What happened?" Chakotay asked.

"I fired on full, no effect."

Chakotay threw a look at Seven.

She shook her head. She couldn't explain it either. There was clearly some technology at work - keeping the contents of the cave from disappearing as the Flyer had - but she didn't understand it. It was far more advanced than anything she'd ever encountered. They could move the rocks, they knew they could because they'd used them for fire. But they couldn't destroy them.

"Temporal mechanics," Chakotay muttered. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the answer has something to do with temporal mechanics. If something doesn't make sense, that's usually the case in my experience."

Seven narrowed her eyes, "You may be correct."

She bent down and picked up one of the fallen rocks. She weighed it in her hand

"Out of phase," she said.

Chakotay raised his eyebrows, obviously surprised by her answer.

She turned to him, "I believe this area is out of phase with the changes occurring on the rest of the planet. That's why whatever we store here stays here. The cave entrance forms the boundary. Icheb found tachyons there, if you recall. They could be an indication."

"I'm glad that makes sense to you," Chakotay said, dryly.

She sighed, "Imagine, if you will, a force-field. A simple force-field such as those used in sickbay to create an isolated environment. Now imagine the same thing, built by a race so advanced that they were able to lock that inner environment in time."

At his puzzled expression, she searched the darkness for inspiration.

Finding none, she tried again, "Another analogy. A bubble under water. No matter how the water may change around it, the environment within it would remain contained."

"Alright, so we can move across the threshold of this 'force-field' but we can't destroy what's inside?"

"Yes, it appears that the inner contents are protected."

"So we can move the rocks, we just can't destroy them?"

"Not from across the 'threshold', no."

Icheb, who'd been listening over the comm said, "We'll begin moving rocks from the entrance immediately."

The ground shook again, violently, and Seven stumbled. Chakotay put a hand on the wall and his other on her elbow, saving her from toppling. Sand dropped from above them, ominously.

"There's no time," Seven said. "By the time we move the rocks, the whole cave will collapse."

_Keep calm. Fear is an unwelcome emotion. It is irrelevant. _

"Do you have an alternative?" Chakotay asked.

She looked around, wildly.

"I believe the force-field – or whatever term you prefer – is damaged. To use the bubble analogy, imagine that after millennia the bubble… springs a leak."

"Pops?"

"No, because we are not dealing with matters of soap and air, we are dealing with matters of time. The breach would bring a certain part of this area in phase with time. Through that breach the environment could change and, in this case, structural integrity could fail."

"Okay," Chakotay said, "and we'd be able to fire through this leak?"

"In theory."

"So how do we find it?"

"Tachyons," Icheb's voice came over the comm.

"Yes!" Seven responded. _Of course_.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Chakotay asked. "I know I'm a mere human but…"

Seven turned to him, "One might find the breach by finding the part of the protected area that is in phase with time – an absence of tachyons would indicate this".

"So like a puncture in an old tyre… where the air escaping is tachyons?"

She quirked her head. "A flawed analogy, as_ lack_ of tachyons would signify this 'puncture' but yes, that's the general idea."

"I'm still not sure I understand, but if you think you know what's going on and can get us out of here, go ahead."

"Icheb," Seven said into her badge again. "The breach could be anywhere on the mountain. Can you isolate it with the tricorder?"

"Not from here," he said.

She looked up at Chakotay, drawing a deep breath. He stepped in.

"Icheb, I can't ask you to put your life on the line to get us out."

"Actually, you can. You are my commanding officer."

"But I won't." He said firmly. His eyes moved to Seven as he added, "Besides, Seven believes we should operate as a democracy."

"Whatever you say, Sir."

Chakotay breathed air out through his nose.

There were sounds of a bit of a scuffle through the comm. Seven felt a wave of concern before a small female voice said, "In that case, I volunteer to go."

"No," Seven said, quickly. "You should stay where you are currently positioned. The planet is experiencing seismic activity that makes traversing mountaintops unsuitable. Do what you can to remove the stones manually."

"You said this is a democracy," Naomi's voice said. "That means I can do what I want."

"No," Chakotay said, with a wry smile. "It means you do what the majority wants you to do."

"While we're discussing this, we're wasting time!" Naomi said. "I'm going!"

There was another bit of a scuffle. Then Icheb came back on the comm. "I'm going with her."

"No!" Seven insisted. "It's too dangerous. Remove the stones manually."

"We've got two votes, commander. Yours is the deciding one," Icheb said.

Seven looked at him pleadingly. He couldn't honestly let them go up the mountain alone. Not after the two of them had confirmed the presence of predators. Not with the unpredictable earthquakes. But then, he was the man who had given Naomi a phaser…

Naomi came back on the comm. "Think about this logically. Neither of us will survive long without you two. If you die in there, we'll die too."

Seven felt her eyes widen and then she was blinking rapidly.

"It's too dangerous," she said, quietly, so only Chakotay could hear.

"You said yourself, there isn't enough time to move the rocks," he said, equally quietly, "We don't know when the next quake will hit. We're not talking a single wall of rock, Seven. Half the cave has collapsed. Digging our way out could take days."

_Damned if you do, damned if you don't._ Another human expression that now made sense.

"Icheb," Chakotay said, solemnly. "Go ahead."

* * *

"Mountain" was probably not a very accurate term. It implied something bigger than the rise that housed the cave they called camp. Icheb had studied mountains. The ones that the database had shown had been impressive, with cliff-faces and steady slopes and even, in the case of some of the higher ones, snow. This was more like a haphazard pile of rocks on a rather steep hill.

At least that's how Icheb thought about it when he first decided to traverse it.

It didn't take long for him to realise he'd under-estimated it.

A short way past the ruins, there was what might be called a footpath. Only, he was relatively certain it had never been designed for feet. It was merely an area that was at a lesser incline than the rest of the mountain. He lead the way, Naomi followed, chattering happily.

As the ground became steeper, it eventually became necessary to climb. The trees grew few and far between. And, Icheb noticed, were losing their leaves rapidly. He stopped at one to tear off two branches that they could use as staves to assist with their hiking. The temperature was also growing steadily hotter. Icheb was capable of surviving in extreme temperatures, but when Naomi grew silent, he could tell she was uncomfortable.

When they stopped for a break and a drink of water, Icheb checked in with Seven and the commander.

"What, no comments?" Icheb said, after he'd killed the comm.

Naomi, whose cheeks were flushed with heat and the effort of climbing looked up distractedly.

"About what?"

"About them being alone in a cave? Alone. Stuck. Together?"

He was rewarded with a slow smile spreading across Naomi's face.

"You're convinced too! Aren't you?"

He was happy to hear the enthusiasm back in her voice. He'd said what he had entirely for the purpose of generating that effect.

"I still think your fantasies are silly," Icheb said. "Seven isn't interested in romance."

"Neither is Commander Chakotay. His last serious girlfriend turned out to be a Cardassian spy and-"

Icheb stood up, "- Come, we should continue."

Naomi trotted after him, "I haven't told you the story, have I? I've had to piece together a lot of it because she died just after I was born and was part of the Kazon but from what I…"

Icheb let her voice drift over him. He didn't care much for the story, he'd never had an interest in crew politics and gossip, but he was pleased to offer her a distraction from their trek.

* * *

"Are we just going to sit here in silence?" Chakotay asked.

"There is nothing to say," Seven responded.

They were sitting against the wall, shoulder-to-shoulder, in the darkness. Chakotay had switched off the light – what was there to see? Better to conserve power.

"And you say _I'm_ a conundrum," he said.

"Commander?"

"A while ago I was Chakotay."

"I apologise," Seven said. "Habit. I will call you Chakotay if you prefer."

He nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him. And then he sighed.

He could feel Seven's eyes on him. He wondered if she could see despite the darkness, due to her ocular implant.

They continued to sit in silence.

"Seven," he said eventually. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do I make you uncomfortable?"

There was a pause.

"How do you mean?"

He stared ahead of him, at nothing.

"Yesterday, in the jungle," he said at length. Why was this so hard to say? "Are we just going to pretend that never happened?"

"Nothing _did_ happen, Commander."

His rank. Again. He turned to her, though he couldn't actually see her. He wanted to direct his annoyance at something, "And earlier, by the water. I guess that didn't happen either?"

He heard a sharp intake of breath.

"I don't know what you-"

"Don't," Chakotay snapped. "Just don't. You know what? It's fine. I can do boundaries. Tell me where the line is, I won't try to cross it."

He was good with boundaries. Kathryn had given him boundaries five years ago, when they'd returned from New Earth. She had told him that the ship must always be her first and only priority. He didn't regret that because it had allowed whatever they had shared to develop into a deep and respectful friendship. But Seven, he couldn't read. Looking into her eyes down by the lake, once the laughter had ceased, he thought he had seen a flicker of desire there. But then she'd shied away from his touch. He thought they'd been fine, he'd opened up to her, and now once again, the emotionless drone.

His combadge _chirrup_ing was a welcome break from the silence as Icheb checked in. He was still getting stable tachyon readings, but they should be at the summit shortly and he may be able to spot the breach from there. He signed off.

Chakotay continued to stare into the darkness.

"You do not make me uncomfortable."

The voice was incredibly soft, and entirely unexpected. Had it not been for the eerie silence that had stretched so long before the statement, Chakotay may have thought he'd imagined it.

"That's good to know," he said.

"Chakotay," she said, and again his emotional response to the use of his first name was absurd. "I cannot survive indefinably without regeneration. For myself and Icheb, settling on this planet is not an option."

He shifted again, so he was looking at her (or at least in her direction).

"Is that what's been bothering you?"

"Partly," she admitted.

He reached out blindly in the darkness, and found her hand. It was the one still covered in Borg technology. It was surprisingly warm.

"Seven, for all we know the whole planet might end within a few days. At the rate we've been seeing the eras pass… but we can't give up yet. We've made it this far, in the Delta Quadrant. We're not going to die on some godforsaken planet during a field trip."

"You sound like Captain Janeway," she commented.

He smiled, "I take that as a compliment."

He heard Seven sigh.

"That is one thing I regret," she said. "I should have told her what a positive influence she was on my life."

"I'm sure she knows, Seven. I know she's very pleased with how far you've come."

"And you, Commander?"

He was still reeling from the question when she corrected herself, "Chakotay."

When he didn't answer immediately she added, "I'm sorry I merely wished to obtain your opinion on how I have progressed towards individuality in the time you've kno-"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'm pleased with how far you've come. You've come incredibly far, Seven. Further than any of us expected."

She didn't respond. So he forged ahead. He needed to get it off his chest. "In the beginning, I didn't think you'd ever be human. When I saw that you'd been raised by the Borg. I thought you'd never integrate with the crew, I didn't think I'd ever trust you. I doubted you, time and again. And you proved me wrong, every time."

"I didn't think so either," she said quietly. "That I'd be human. It was an… undesirable condition."

"And now?"

"You wish to know whether I desire to be fully human? When I am faced with certain death due to my inability to recharge my Borg implants?"

He realised his _faux pas_ and was still stumbling over the answer when she added, "A joke. I understand what you mean."

There was a pause then she answered, "I _am_ human. Desire is irrelevant. Yet… I do find myself fantasising, at times, about a different experience of humanity. One that does not involve regeneration. A reality in which I was, perhaps, raised by my own parents. Borg strength and knowledge are valuable, but I sometimes question the cost."

"Your node," he said.

"Yes, but that's not what I was referring to." She seemed to struggle with continuing. He was about to prompt her when she added, "I am still different from everyone else on the crew, in very obvious ways."

"There is a saying among my people," Chakotay said. "All birds, even those of the same species, are not alike."

He was surprised when she said the last two words in unison with him.

"You're familiar with it?" he asked.

"I've been offered the same words of comfort before," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

He was intrigued. Someone else on the crew was quoting old Indian sayings?

Before he could pursue it she asked, "Are you familiar with Captain Janeway's Da Vinci holodeck program?"

"The one that was stolen? Of course."

"No I mean, did you ever enter it? The studio?"

"Yes," if he was not mistaken, on the very night that Seven had joined them.

"Do you recall the flying machine that hung on the wall?"

"I think so."

"You see, Chakotay, I'm not a bird. Not even a bird of a different species. I am that machine. I am merely attempting to become a bird. I will never _be_ a bird, but I may well develop the ability to fly."

He couldn't think of a response to that, so he just squeezed her hand.

* * *

**A/N It wouldn't be a Trek fic without some of that infamous treknobable. I hope that you were able to get what I was getting at. Disclaimer: I am not a physicist, or any kind of scientist (what, you didn't guess?). Also, I'm writing in a universe where a "macro virus" is a canon thing. I figure I have a teensy bit of leeway? :) **


	21. Seismic activity

The air had become dry and hot. So hot. In fact the heat was almost unbearable. And if Icheb thought it was unbearable, he had no idea how it must have felt to Naomi as they worked their way up the mountain. Her nose and cheeks were bright pink, her hair was falling loose from its hairband and she was sweating, but she did not complain. Not once.

"What is the climate like on your father's planet, Naomi?" Icheb asked, attempting to goad her into another of her distracting stories.

"You know what it's like, Icheb. You helped me create the hologram for my science project."

"Oh. Yes. Temperate."

"Yes."

Silence fell between them again.

"I have heard that there are areas on Earth that are quite hot," he said, trying again.

"Icheb?"

"Yes?"

"Is it okay if we stop talking for a while?"

"Of course."

He looked back at her with concern, "Do you wish to stop walking? You can wait in the shade of the next tree if you wish? I can come back for you?"

"No," she said, sternly. "I just want to concentrate on walking for now."

So they concentrated on walking. Icheb kept checking his tricorder. He had calibrated it to measure for the presence of tachyons and plot out the density. So far the density had remained exactly as it was at the mouth of the cave. His secret fear, the one he had not voiced to Seven, was that the breach, when he isolated it, would be kilometres of solid rock away from her and the commander, or even under the ground. He was lost in thought, staring at the screen, when he heard Naomi gasp. He looked up sharply.

They'd been walking in between rocks for some time and the view had changed so seldom that Icheb had stopped even trying to take note of it. Now, however, he couldn't not.

He muttered a Klingon curse word that he'd heard Lieutenant Torres use.

It was the only appropriate response.

There, just off to their right, the ground dipped sharply down into the crater of a volcano. A volcano that had been dormant yesterday. But yesterday had been millennia ago for the planet. Now hot magma bubbled only a few hundred metres below them.

"Well, that explains the heat," Naomi said.

Icheb swallowed.

"And the seismic activity."

Naomi glanced at him, concerned. "You think it's going to erupt?"

"Let's not concern ourselves with that for the meantime. We have another important mission."

They continued to move along the path up towards the summit. At one point it grew incredibly thin and Icheb found himself walking with his back to a cliff-face, his front to the scorching heat of the volcano. He told Naomi, again, that she was welcome to stay. But she didn't. She stuck her chin out and declared that she was smaller than he was, so it would be easier for her to get across.

Eventually the path broadened and then they were on a wide enough piece of land that Icheb felt comfortable checking in again. He didn't pause in their ascent as he did so.

"Icheb to Commander Chakotay," he said.

"Have you found anything?" the commander's voice came over the comm.

"An active volcano."

There was a pause.

"A... did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes, commander. The 'mountain' forms a part of a volcano crater. The volcano is now active and…"

He stopped as they came around the bend. There, before them, the plateau stretched. Scraggly grassland and dead trees and, in the centre, a dinosaur bigger than Icheb had ever imagined. It had a head like a crocodile, the gullet of a pelican and was roughly the size of a shuttle bay. It was eating. Red ribbons, the remnants of some unlucky creature, hung from its jaw.

"Naomi," Icheb said, keeping his voice steady with effort, "Go back the way we came."

He didn't hear the sound of her moving away, so glanced over his shoulder to find her standing staring, her mouth agape.

"Go!"

She blinked, looked at him, looked at the monster.

"Icheb?" Chakotay's voice had a note of alarm in it, coming over the comm.

Icheb had made an error shouting. He'd managed to draw the dinosaur's attention. Its tiny eye focused on him. Slowly he started to back away. He could hear Naomi panting, still frozen by terror.

"Icheb, what's happening?" Chakotay asked sharply.

Icheb just hit the comm, closing the connection. The creature took one lazy step towards them. The ground shook.

Icheb reached for the phaser, which he had been carrying at his side. It was still set for the highest setting, the setting that the commander had told him should vaporise rock. He fired.

His first shot missed, it went flaring off into the distance. The dinosaur looked after the beam, as if intrigued, then looked back at Icheb. Icheb fired again. This one hit home.

No sooner had it hit than Icheb regretted it. The creature cried out, throwing its head back, as the beam sliced across its side. Where the flesh had been, now an angry red gash appeared. Icheb stumbled backward, firing again and missing again. The monster moved towards him with purpose now, anger flaring in its lizard-like eyes. It bellowed, the sound itself powerful enough to knock icheb backwards into the sand, gazing up at it as it came for him.

* * *

Seven slammed her hand against her combadge over and over again.

"Seven of Nine to Icheb! Icheb respond!"

She could hear her voice breaking with emotion.

Chakotay grabbed her hand. She fought him.

"Seven! Seven, listen to me! You're going to damage yourself!"

Her strength was superior, she pulled herself free of his grip.

"You! You let them go up there! Now anything might have happened to them!" She backed away from him, into the darkness. Her head was reeling.

At least before, when Icheb had been struck by the lightning, they'd known what had happened. She'd been able to monitor his biosigns. Now… it could be anything. An active volcano… what if they had been consumed by lava? Or what if something worse, something unexpected, had befallen them? Death could come quickly, offering no warning. She had seen a lot of death. She knew how unexpected a visitor it could be. Icheb… Naomi…

Had she been thinking rationally, she would have been able to identify her feelings as those of an anxious parent. Though not her offspring, the children – as she insisted on continuing to call them – had been her protégés. She had tutored and guided Naomi, she had assisted Icheb with overcoming some of the difficulties that had plagued her in her transition from Borg to human. Naomi had given her friendship without question. Icheb had risked his life for her. She shared a bond with those two individuals far greater than the bond she shared with any other crewmembers, barring, perhaps, the Captain.

It was for this reason that her head suddenly radiated pain as the emotional failsafe in her node kicked in. It knew love when it felt it, even if she didn't.

She fell against the wall, taken by surprise. Chakotay was beside her in seconds, calling her name.

He was holding her face in his hands.

"Seven, listen to me, we don't know what's happened. You can't afford to assume the worse. Seven? Seven please talk to me."

He sounded genuinely frightened. She reached up, touching his cheek, attempting to re-assure him. She couldn't speak through the pain just yet. She drew in deep breaths, trying to find that calm, cold, centre of her that was Borg. _Emotion is irrelevant_, she told herself. _Their fate will remain the same whether you are emotional or not_. She did not succeed. Emotions are not, by nature, logical.

"Listen to me," Chakotay repeated. "Listen to the sound of my voice."

His voice was remarkably level. He radiated calm. _How did he manage that?_

With one hand he stroked her hair. Long, gentle, strokes.

"Listen to my voice," he said. "We know nothing for certain."

She looked into his eyes. His gaze was steady, focused. She felt calm descend upon her, as if he was wrapping her in a blanket of it.

_He's gentling me as he did the dinosaur_, she thought_. But why is the pain not abating?_

His hand moved from her hair to her cheek, his brow furrowed and his gaze became concerned. He couldn't see her, she realised. He was going on touch alone. Her hand closed around his and she squeezed it lightly. _I'm alright_, the squeeze said. But he continued to hold her hand, securely, his thumb tracing over it the way it had before – in the jungle. _What do you need?_ The touch asked. He was so close, she could feel his breath. She closed her eyes. And then, without warning, he pulled her into his arms. He held her to him, gently, as if she was something precious and delicate. Her breath hitched. Her head filled with the high pitched whining of her node.

She pushed him away, almost violently.

"You're not helping," she said.

"I'm sorry I…"He sounded hurt, confused.

She regretted her words, but was finding it hard to concentrate through the pain. "I appreciate your efforts… but they are… counter-productive," she said.

A sharp pang cut through her and she brought her hand up to her head automatically, clutching at it while waiting for the wave to pass. She felt Chakotay's hands on her shoulders and when she looked up at him, after the pain had ebbed slightly, his eyes were boring down on her with almost startling intensity.

"What do you mean by '_counter-productive_'?" he asked.

"Now's not the time…" she said, looking away.

"Now's the perfect time," his hand seized hers again. "Now might be the _only _time."

* * *

**A/N If you haven't seen it, Roddenberry Jnr has sanctioned an official Star Trek Wikia (linking to Memory Alpha, the Klingon Dictionary, Fan Communities/Fiction, news on the new movies etc). It makes my heart happy even though I wish they'd thought to do it ages ago :). You can find it at trekinitiative dot wikia **


	22. Moments of truth

So this was death, Icheb mused, as the gigantic jaw bore down on him.

He could feel the heat of the creature's breath, smell the stench of rotten meat, see the gigantic teeth. He wondered absently if being swallowed whole was an option, or if being chomped in half was mandatory.

And then the creature gave out a howl. Its hunched back arched and the giant head was thrown back in agony.

Icheb scrambled to his feet as the monster turned about-face, still roaring. Icheb just had time to make out Naomi standing holding a stick tinged in red before the monster began advancing on her. She screamed, turning and running, it ducked its head to seize her in its mighty jaws, but Icheb fired the phaser again. The beam tore through its hind and it cried out once again.

Naomi darted behind a rock, sinking to her knees and clutching the stick to her chest as the dinosaur rounded on Icheb. His eyes darted for somewhere to escape to. He saw the edge of the crater, not far away, and knew what he had to do. He ran. He ran with every bit of Borg strength and energy he had in him, leaping down the narrow path they'd come up, even as he felt the vibrations of the monster following him. He vaulted over rocks, bounded over the stumps of broken trees and landed on the thin ledge, almost losing his balance.

Icheb let out another Klingon curse word and closed his eyes. He'd made it. Now he just had to keep going. Taking a deep breath, he began to edge his way along the ledge. The ground moved somewhere behind him and he heard stone skittering into the crater. The creature gave another roar. Icheb risked looking around at it. It was standing on the very rim of the crater, on the last piece of ground that would support it before the narrow path. It attempted a step forward, but stepped back quickly when the ground fell away, unable to support its weight.

Icheb was safe. But what about Naomi?

He hoped she was still hiding behind that rock. Perhaps she could still get to him if she waited long enough. If the creature went off somewhere else.

But then he saw her. She was standing just behind the creature, attempting to sneak past it. Icheb began shaking his head wildly, but she either didn't see him or chose to ignore him. She passed the dinosaur and began edging along the crater rim on its other side, where the ground narrowed again between ancient rocks and the sheer drop into the volcano. What in the galaxy was she doing?

Her path became narrower and narrower, the rocks encroaching on the rim so that, from Icheb's vantage point, there appeared to be no space to move around them at all. She dropped to her knees and began crawling. One hand finding purchase, then another, then a knee, then the other. Slowly, inching her way along. He was still trying to work out what her plan was. Then he saw what she was aiming for. A ledge, not unlike the one he currently stood on, jutted out just ahead of her. She crawled onto it and then stood, very slowly, taking care to maintain her balance. Then she turned back to the creature. She took something from her side – a stone – and hurled it at it.

It bounced harmlessly off the dinosaur's hide, but it got its attention. It turned and, seeing Naomi, began after her. Icheb saw her eyes go wide, then she dropped to her hands and knees again and crawled further along the ledge, away from the beast. She stood again, throwing another stone at the creature. It roared in frustration. Then it began to tread the ground. She threw another stone.

"Naomi!" Icheb called, "What are you doing? Stop that!"

She ignored him. Instead she threw another stone. The creature backed away slightly, then it ran for her. She screamed, dropping into a foetal position and putting her hands over her head. Rock and sand and bits of broken tree fell into the flaming pit that was the crater, the dinosaur did not care. Rock collapsed underfoot and it drove itself forward, its only desire to get at her. It almost succeeded. It lunged forward, jaw open, but the ground beneath its feet was too narrow. As it flung itself forward, it had nowhere to land. It crashed into the ledge she was on and the stone cracked and fell away, taking the howling creature with it. Even on its way down, Icheb could see it scrambling for purchase, hitting a number of similar ledges. Then there was silence.

Icheb saw Naomi was trembling. She peaked through her arms, seeing her handiwork.

"Can you get back?" Icheb called to her.

He had to repeat himself before she responded. She looked up at him, her eyes large, face pale. Then she nodded.

She crept slowly back the way she came. She'd been correct, being smaller did give her a distinct advantage when negotiating the narrow ledge. She managed to shuffle sideways across places where Icheb couldn't even see the foot holds. She was almost home free when the worst thing possible happened. The ground shook.

* * *

"Seven," Chakotay repeated, "what do you mean by _counterproductive_?"

Light flared. She squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden brightness, looking away automatically. But he took her chin in his hand, guiding her head back, so he could look into her face.

"You mean I'm making the pain worse? By comforting you?"

"I only meant that exhibiting human displays of comfort would not assist with easing the-"

"-No, no. You used the word "_counterproductive_". You're careful about your words, Seven."

They stared at each other. He was clearly waiting for her to say more.

When she didn't he asked, "Tell me about that emotional failsafe?"

His voice was still soft, but the bright light and his sudden intensity leant the situation the feel of an interrogation. She remained silent.

"What triggers the pain?" he asked.

"I told you," she said, through clenched teeth. "Certain levels of emo-"

"Bullshit."

Her breath caught, as it had a few days before when he'd used another expletive. She could see the fiery warrior he'd referred to in his eyes now.

"It can't be levels of emotion," he said. "Because I've seen you experiencing a great number of intense emotions over the past few days. I've seen you running for your life, panicked and frustrated, laughing so hard you couldn't breathe… I've seen you experiencing all of these emotions and only twice have you reacted in pain. Both times Icheb's life has been at stake – "

Then he interrupted himself, "No… you reacted the same way when _my _life was at stake. When I was suffocating. In fact the pain grew so intense that you passed out, didn't you?"

She turned her head away from him. The physical pain from her node had eased, now it was her heart that ached with anxiety about the children and discomfort at his line of questioning.

He turned her head back once again, this time with a light touch to her cheek.

"It's not _levels_ of emotion is it? I could accept that before… before I'd spent all this time with you. But not now. It's not levels… it's types, isn't it? A _specific_ type."

"Please don't, Commander," she said. Even to her own ears, her voice sounded broken.

His other hand also came to her face, and he brushed her hair away so that he was holding it between his hands, his eyes searching.

"Seven," Chakotay's voice was barely a whisper. "I think as far as times for the truth go, sitting trapped in a cave that's about to collapse on a planet going backwards towards destruction is probably it."

She was frozen by his penetrating gaze, she felt like she daren't even breathe, for even that small move would give her away.

The ground trembled violently as another quake hit. Chakotay leaned over her as sand and stone poured down on them from the cave roof, his body shielding her. It was over in minutes, the air once again filled with dust. They coughed, unable to speak until it settled, but Chakotay's gaze met hers again, and he pulled her to him so she was pressed against his chest, looking up into his face.

"The truth," he rasped, before coughing again. He leaned his forehead on hers.

She knew what he was asking her. She knew he'd figured it out, what she hadn't said when she'd explained that she was defective. She had told him that she was capable of feeling emotions as long as they did not exceed a certain limit. She had told him it was intense emotions that were the problem. It certainly explained why she'd been in pain over Icheb's condition, and over his. But there was another explanation, and he'd worked it out. Because she'd been too careless in her pain to choose her words more carefully and because he wasn't stupid. He had obviously seen her staring. Didn't he deserve to know the truth? What did it matter if he hated her for it? In all likelihood, they would die here.

"I have a confession," she said.

He raised his head, looking down at her. He seemed anxious. She swallowed.

"I conducted simulations. On the holodeck," she said.

His eyes widened, and then narrowed. He tilted his head slightly as if about to accuse her of making light of a serious situation.

She forged ahead, "These simulations involved you and I."

She couldn't look at him, after confessing that, so she focused on her hands which were now pressed against his chest.

"What kind of simulations?" He asked. His voice was level.

Hers was not, when she answered, "At first, social settings. The mess hall. Then hoverball."

She let that sink in. Yes, let him know that she'd lied about not playing hoverball. He didn't say anything. The silence stretched between them. She fought the temptation to look at his face, to gauge his reaction. If she didn't continue now, she'd lose her nerve.

"And eventually…" deep breath. "Dinner."

"Dinner?" his deep voice showed no emotion, no indication of what he was thinking. She knew he must have been horrified.

"I was merely practising my social skills. I did not mean for anything to develop between us…"

"Develop?" This question was less steady. This one was charged with emotion. What emotion was it? Astonishment? Anger?

She could feel her blood rushing to her face. He pulled away slightly, looking down at her again. She continued to avoid his gaze. His hands landed on her shoulders.

"What do you mean develop? What happened?"

This was it. Confession time. As if to underscore her inner turmoil, the ground trembled again. This was merely a tremor, but it was a reminder that their time was likely running out. Now or never, then.

She looked up, meeting his gaze at last.

"We fell in love," she said.

She looked away as soon as the words were out of her mouth. "Correction,_ I_ fell in love. With a hologram. A hologram that had the likeness of you."

She waited. She was braced for his ire. It didn't come. That was somehow worse.

"I realise that what I did was a complete invasion of your privacy," she said softly. "I want you do know that I am truly sorry. I never intended… I mean to say that I was merely experimenting with… what I mean is… my social skills. The Doctor said, not that this had anything to do with him. But he encouraged. And after Unimatrix Zero I thought. But I was wrong. And I am sorry. If I have been acting… strangely… around you, Commander. That is the explanation. That is the truth."

Finally she found the courage to look up at him. His mouth was slightly parted, his eyes were wide. He looked like he was struggling to find the words to say something. It was worse than she'd imagined. He wasn't angry – she wished he'd be angry – he was disappointed, horrified, embarrassed. She pulled away from him.

He grabbed her arm, "Seven."

His combadge chirped.


	23. Courage

Icheb let out a cry that may have been Naomi's name as the ground shook.

It happened almost in slow motion. She'd been stepping gingerly onto a particularly narrow piece of rock and then she was falling, arms flailing. He was powerless to do anything but watch as she fell.

And then her fingers gripped something and she stopped, dangling, clinging to what looked like the cliff-face itself. With effort, she managed to pull herself upwards, clambering onto a jutting out stone so narrow that Icheb could still not even see it. She pulled her knees up to her chest and huddled in on herself.

Icheb began breathing again. Deep, shaky, breaths. But she was still far from safe. She was a few meters down from the rim and her position was, to say the least, precarious. He skirted along his own ledge. Much of the ground he had used to get there had succumbed to the dinosaur's advances, crumbling away down into the volcano.

"Hold on, Naomi! I'm coming!"

She didn't respond, her head was still buried.

He reached the edge of the ledge that had been the narrow path. An entire section of it no longer existed. Instead he was faced with a sheer drop down into the crater. There was no way across. No foothold presented itself. He looked back at Naomi. A suffocating feeling of intense and utter isolation began to envelope him. There was no one he could go to for help. No collective – Borg or human – who could offer counsel. He was completely alone. His hand hovered over his combadge for a moment, but what would he say? There was no way that Seven or the commander could help them. All he'd accomplish by hailing them was causing them more worry. He swallowed. He couldn't climb across, he couldn't wait where he was. Images of the dinosaur flashed across his mind. There was one thing he could do. It was crazy, illogical, inadvisable… but in absence of anything else…

He backed up as far as he could, then he ran, then he jumped. He threw his weight forward the way he'd observed the dinosaur do. Of course, it hadn't proved to be a very successful strategy for the dinosaur.

He landed.

Well, his upper body landed. His lower hung off the ledge and threatened to pull him over too, but his fingers caught on some of the scraggly grass and he dug them into the dirt. Then he used his arms, and pure bull-headed determination, to haul himself up, even as he heard bits of rock and sand falling into the crater behind him. His heart was pounding and he could hear his blood rushing in his ears. He didn't allow himself to stop. He knew if he did, he might lose the courage to negotiate the narrow, half destroyed, walkway that would take him closer to Naomi.

But how could he possibly get to her? She was too far down. His eyes darted around the area, hoping to find inspiration. And he did. A dead tree.

He'd dropped his stave when the dinosaur had attacked him. He went back and retrieved it. Then he did as Naomi had, dropping to his knees and crawling along, finding something to grip one limb at a time. Eventually, miraculously, he was sitting on a ledge almost directly above her.

"Naomi?"

No response.

"Naomi Wildman, respond."

Nothing.

"_Crewman _Wildman! Snap out of it!"

He saw her raise her head, and then twist around to look up at him. Her face was white.

"You're going to need to climb up here."

"I can't."

"Do you have another solution to propose?"

She shook her head, staring at him with eyes so large they appeared to dominate her face.

Icheb held the stick out to her.

"Grab hold of this and use it to pull yourself up. I will anchor this end."

The ground trembled again, a mild tremor. Not great enough to dislodge her, but great enough to discourage her.

"I can't!".

"Did I tell you the story about the boy and the kite?"

She shook her head.

"Take hold of the stave and I will endeavour to tell it."

"What if you fall?" Naomi said, though encouragingly she did begin to get to her feet.

"I have enhanced strength remember? There is more chance of another quake hitting. Take hold of the stick."

She did.

"Now use the stick to pull yourself up the rockface."

She shook her head wildly.

"Do you want to hear the story about the boy and the kite?"

"Is it a happy story?"

"A very happy one. Just look up at me, do not concern yourself with anything else. Concentrate on my story."

She lifted her one foot to the cliff face, then experimentally lifted the other. Then she slammed it down again.

"I'm going to fall!"

"I'm not going to let you fall. Just hold on to the stave. Come, time is of the essence."

In truth, he was terrified that another quake would hit and they would both fall. She nodded, seeming to come to a decision, then she braced both feet against the cliff and began to climb.

"The story," she reminded him, as he hung onto the stick with all his might.

"There was a boy, who lived on a planet where there was no wind. They had no birds in the sky. The leaves in the trees would never rustle."

"That's impossible."

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

She took a step upwards. Then she moved her hand up. Then another step, Then the other hand. He forged ahead with the story.

"So he lived on this planet with no wind. But one day something happened that triggered an atmospheric conversion."

"What happened?" Naomi asked.

"I don't know. It's irrelevant. Anyway suddenly there was wind and everyone was frightened. They thought it was the gods, coming to destroy them. No one would go outside. Except the boy because he was curious."

One hand, then the other. One foot, then the other. Closer and closer she came.

"And he went outside, in the wind, and he discovered it was… exhilarating. Being buffeted by the elements. When everyone else assumed the worst, he opened his mind to better things. So he built a kite, to show the villagers what was possible with wind. Even though it was frightening. And so they discovered flight. And it was thanks to that one boy being brave."

"Icheb?"

"Yes?"

"You're not very good at telling stories."

"I know. You are welcome to improve upon that one."

And then she was close enough for him to grab hold of her arm and haul her up onto the ledge with him.

She threw her arms around his neck and buried her head against his shoulder. She was trembling.

He didn't know what to do. Physical comfort and affection was still a mystery to him. But he had seen others do it. He patted her back awkwardly, while gazing over shoulder.

And then, without warning, steam shot out of the crater. Scorching, destructive, tearing upwards. Icheb pulled Naomi backwards, so they were lying flat on the ledge as angry clouds billowed up above them.

"Is the volcano is erupting?" Naomi asked, her voice quavering.

"No," he said.

But this steam was not a good sign. It could mean the volcano was _about_ to erupt. He pulled his tricorder from his side to scan it. There were readings on the screen already. For a brief moment he was confused. Then he realised what he was seeing.

"It's here!" He exclaimed.

He sat up, staring at the screen. Then he hit his combadge.

"Icheb to Commander Chakotay."

"Icheb!" The commander's voice came immediately. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Fine, Commander. We'll explain later. I've found the breach. It's in the volcano."


	24. Sunshine

"In the volcano?" Commander Chakotay asked.

Icheb was standing up now, holding the tricorder out in different directions.

"The air is thick with all kinds of particles here, that's why I couldn't see it from further away," he said, sounding like he was speaking to himself.

Naomi was no longer interested in particles, tachyon or otherwise. She just wanted to go home. She pressed her lips together. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't let on how frightened she was.

"Naomi, stay here. I'll be back shortly."

"What? No! Icheb, what are you doing?"

He began to climb back along the rim of the volcano. She jumped to her feet and made to come after him. "Where are you going?"

"The breach is this way."

She followed him, taking care to step exactly where he stepped.

"Naomi," he said, without changing his focus, "I told you to stay there."

"In a democracy, you don't outrank me," she said.

He sighed and turned to look over his shoulder at her, "I thought you were frightened of climbing?"

"Your story inspired me," she said.

It wasn't the truth, and she suspected he knew that. The truth was that she didn't want to be left alone. Not there, on the brink of a volcano, with Seven and Chakotay trapped and Icheb at risk of tumbling into the crater or being scorched alive by steam. At least if she followed him she wouldn't die alone.

He gave her a long, hard, look then said, "Follow me _precisely_."

She nodded solemnly.

He reached the edge of a ledge, and then he jumped. She gave a little squeal of surprise, but he called to her from a ledge below. She sank to her knees and, with as much grace as possible, dropped down after him. He caught her.

Tentatively, they traversed the crater in such a way until, seemingly at random, Icheb stopped.

They were on a relatively wide ledge positioned somewhere below the path they'd used to get up to the summit. He scanned the rock face. Then he took the phaser and shot it.

Immediately a portion of it disintegrated, but only a portion. The portion was the shape of a crack. It was possibly two feet across and three feet tall.

He tapped his combadge, "Icheb to Chakotay. We have a problem."

"Can you be more specific?" Chakotay's strained voice answered.

"I've found the breach… but it's tiny. I don't see how we can create a path down to you. Even if we did, there's no way you'd be able to fit out through here."

Naomi was staring at the crack. It _was_ tiny. But so was she.

"I can fit in there," she said.

Icheb's eyes shot to her.

"I can," she said. "I can fit in there, and I can use the phaser to create a tunnel down to where they are if you can direct me with the tricorder."

"What good would that do?" Icheb asked. "The idea is to get them out, not you in."

She knew he didn't mean it unkindly, so she tried not to take it as such. They heard a hushed conversation over the comm, then Seven's voice came through.

"I disagree," she said. "In absence of a method to get out through the breach, we'd need a way of clearing the rock from our side. Naomi could bring the phaser."

"Shooting herself a path down to us would likely use up the power cell," Chakotay's voice cut in.

"I have my tools here, with our supplies," Seven said. "I could modify it into an explosive."

"Dynamite?" they heard Chakotay ask incredulously.

"Not quite, but yes that is the desired effect."

There was a pause, then the commander said, "Unless anyone has any other ideas, I'd say it's worth a try. You'll have to keep the phaser on full, Naomi. If you don't disintegrate the rock completely it could fly out and injure you. And Icheb, you'll need to take into account the mechanical properties of the surrounding rock so we don't risk the tunnel collapsing on her."

"That won't be possible, Commander," Icheb said.

Naomi looked up at him, taken by surprise.

"We have one combadge between us. You're going to have to communicate with her from that side."

As he said it, he took off the badge and handed it to Naomi. She looked at the badge then back at his face.

"Icheb… I can't just leave you here. What if something happens?"

"Naomi, if you don't try this plan, something _will_ happen."

"How are you going to get back up?"

"I'll find a way." He punched some things into the tricorder and then handed it to her. "It's imperative that you only shoot through rock that has these conditions. If the surrounding rock is too weak, the tunnel could crush you."

"Crush me…" She was beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea after all. "Isn't there something else we could try?"

"Such as?"

"I don't know! You're a genius! Think of something!"

He looked down at her, his expression inscrutable. She thought that perhaps he was going to offer an alternative, but he didn't.

"Naomi, I just want you to know that your friendship has been invaluable to me since I arrived on Voyager."

She began shaking her head, "No, Icheb, don't. Please…"

"I'm not saying goodbye," he said quickly. "Let me finish."

He smiled, one of his rare, warm, smiles. "During that time I'd say I have come to know you quite well. I know you are not someone who backs down from a challenge. Whether it is memorising Borg designations or becoming the captain's assistant. If you set your mind to something, you accomplish it. I have no doubt you will accomplish this task."

He handed her the phaser.

Her earlier words to Commander Chakotay were ringing in her head as she accepted it.

_Sometimes an individual has to make a sacrifice..._

* * *

Seven waited with baited breath as she overheard the first and then the second phaser fire. Chakotay was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her, but was also intensely focused on his combadge as if he expected Naomi to spring forth out of its very metal.

"I'm inside," she reported. "It's a really small space. The rock's nice and cool though."

More phaser fire.

"I'm going to have to go downwards. Can you see my biosign yet?"

Chakotay checked his tricorder. "Not yet, There's still interference from the volcano."

They heard her call something to Icheb, then she came back on the comm, "Icheb is going to try get back. He's gone."

Seven's emotions threatened to overwhelm her again. Icheb traversing the inside of an active volcano, Naomi facing her – Seven's – worst fear, being alone in a small, enclosed space. During a period of seismic activity no less. Her eyes cut to Chakotay. He hadn't said a word to her since her confession, his attention focussed entirely on Naomi and Icheb's situation. Now his face was taunt. His mouth was pulled into a thin line, his eyes were narrowed and looking at the combadge.

They waited. Occasionally they'd hear phaser fire.

"I can see you!" Naomi exclaimed suddenly. Seven's heart jumped to her throat. She expected to look up and see the child. Then she realised she was referring to seeing them on the tricorder.

Chakotay examined theirs. "I can see you too," he said. And he smiled slightly.

The tricorder was set to detect lifesigns and map their location. On the edge of the screen, Seven could now see the flashing red dot that was Naomi, somewhere up above them in the rock.

They watched as she inched towards them, hearing the accompanying phaser fire every so often. Seven was beginning to feel hopeful. They might survive to see another day, despite everything.

Then another quake hit.

This one was more violent than any of the others before. She was thrown off her feet, splaying onto the cave floor. She automatically threw her arms over her head as rock feel down around them. She could hear Chakotay shouting, "Naomi! Naomi respond!" even as the planet shook. A crack appeared in the one wall. It was only a matter of time before the entire cave collapsed inwards. Seven saw, from her position on the floor, that the tricorder had been thrown from Chakotay's hands and now lay on the ground, a few meters from her. She crawled for it. Chakotay did too. Their hands both landed on it at the same time, his on hers. He pulled away sharply. They looked at each other. Then she looked at the screen.

The red dot was still blinking.

Chakotay hit his badge again, "Chakotay to Naomi, please respond!"

They received a response this time. A strangled sob.

"Are you injured?" Chakotay asked. He climbed to his feet with purpose, as if standing would give him an advantage in helping her.

"No," said a tiny voice. "The… the tunnel collapsed behind me. It's so dark."

"Do you still have your phaser?" Chakotay asked.

"Yes."

He visibly relaxed. Seven got to her feet too, taking the tricorder over to where he stood.

"You should continue straight," she said. "According to our readings the rock is more stable there. You can come downwards when you are directly overhead."

Her eyes met the commander's and she glanced at the crack that had appeared in the wall. If Naomi came through at the wrong angle, she could trigger the collapse. He nodded, getting her meaning.

Another sob came over the comm, then, "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" Chakotay asked. "You said you weren't injured."

"I don't want to do this anymore," she said. "I'm scared. What happens when another quake hits?"

Chakotay and Seven looked at each other again.

"Naomi Wildman," Seven said. "You recall when the pitcher plant was devouring our ship. I promised you that we would survive. And we did. If you continue on the trajectory I outlined, we will survive. But you must move."

"That was different," Naomi said. "You and The Doctor saved us. I've been pretending to be big and brave but the truth is I'm not!"

They could hear she was crying. "I… I told Neelix that I'm not a little girl anymore… and then he left."

Seven realised she was trying to say something important, but it was difficult to understand her like this.

"I wanted to prove that I was right, when I told him that. That I didn't need him anymore. But that's not true."

Seven and Chakotay shared another look.

Then he said, gently, into the comm, "Naomi, Neelix didn't leave because of what you said to him."

"I know that," she said. "He left because his other family needed him more. I didn't want him to worry about me." She sniffed, "I… I wanted him to believe that I can look after myself, I wanted everyone to believe that. So that I can be a productive member of the crew. But I was wrong. I just want to go home."

Seven saw Chakotay swallowing down emotion.

"Naomi," he said, his voice thick, "you _are_ a productive member of the crew. You're the captain's assistant remember? Being a productive member of the crew doesn't mean you don't get scared occasionally."

"Seven never gets scared," Naomi said.

Chakotay looked at Seven. She was floored by the statement. She was aware that she had become a role model for the child. For the first time it occurred to her that might not be an entirely positive thing.

"Yes she does," Chakotay said. "She's scared right now, aren't you Seven?"

Chakotay tilted his head, indicating she should say something to Naomi. What could she say? She was not good at offering comfort. He was far better suited to the task.

"The commander is correct," she said. "Our current predicament is a frightening one. But fear is irrelevant. You have a task to complete. You must defeat your fear to complete it."

Seven pictured the girl, huddled in on herself with her head on her knees and her lip trembling in the silence that followed.

Chakotay put a hand on Seven's arm. She looked up at him, surprised.

"When my father took us on camping trips when I was a child I used to hate it," he was speaking to Seven, not to Naomi. "During the day at least there were things to see, but at night darkness would surround us. In that darkness would be the sounds of the wild. But then my father, seeing I was frightened even though I would never admit it myself, suggested that we sing. Singing would frighten off evil spirits, he'd say. What I only realised much later was that he was referring to the darkness inside ourselves – the fear. The singing gave us something to focus our minds on and distract us from the dangers beyond our circle of light."

She was looking into his eyes. She blinked, suddenly understanding what he meant by the story.

"You wish for me to sing?" she asked.

He smiled slowly, "Think of it as a last request?"

He'd said that to her before, when they'd been trapped within the subspace mass. Then he had used it as a joke. He'd been injured but their situation hadn't been quite that dire, not as dire as the one they currently faced. Now she had the horrible feeling that he might be serious.

"Naomi Wildman," Seven said, louder, "are you familiar with The Doctor's favourite song?"

"No," she said, "What is it?"

"It is a ballad called _You are my Sunshine_. I will endeavour to teach it to you as you move towards us. It was the first song he had me sing, so I assume it is suitable for novices."

She looked to Chakotay. He nodded encouragingly.

"The first verse forms the chorus. It goes as follows."

And then she began singing. "_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey._ Now you must sing as well. _You are my sunshine…_"

Naomi did as instructed. Her voice was slightly off key, but Seven elected not to say anything. They watched as the red dot began to move towards them once again. Once Naomi had the tune of the chorus they moved onto the verse.

"The tune for the verse is the same, the words are as follows." She sang, "_The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms._"

She didn't mean to catch Chakotay's eye as she said those words. But she did. And she felt herself colour, her voice faltered. She forged ahead, "_When I awoke dear, I was mistaken and I held my head and cried._"

"That's sad!" Naomi commented.

"I did not say it was a happy song," Seven insisted. "But The Doctor enjoys it. Let us sing the chorus again."

They did. This time, Chakotay joined in the final part of the chorus, "_You'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away._"

"Are there more verses?" he asked, looking down at the tricorder. Was he avoiding her eyes?

"Yes," Seven said. "But they are less happy."

"When we get back to Voyager, I'll sing it to The Doctor," Naomi declared.

Chakotay and Seven exchanged another look and then he responded, "In that case, Seven had better teach us the next verse."

She nodded curtly, "As follows: _I'll always love you and make you happy, if you will only say the same. But if you leave me and love another, you'll regret it all some day_."

"Should we be concerned that The Doctor enjoys a song that seems to be focused on abandonment?" Chakotay muttered.

"It is not 'focused on abandonment'," Seven said. "It is a song about the agony of unrequited love."

Their eyes met again and she turned away from him quickly.

"Can we sing the chorus rather?" Naomi asked.

"If you prefer," Seven said.

The three of them sang together. Chakotay did not have much of a singing voice, but his effort was endearing. As the verse came to an end, the little red dot arrived directly above them.

"How long will it take you to modify the phaser?" Chakotay asked Seven.

"I only need a moment. I'll set it to overload."

The unspoken question was whether they'd be able to clear the rocks before the rest of the cave fell in. Chakotay nodded, almost imperceptibly, to Seven. She retrieved her tools from where he'd stashed them when he'd emptied her container. Meanwhile, he instructed Naomi to start the decent. He waited directly below where she was and, as the final piece of rock disappeared, she fell into his arms. Cracks spread out from where she'd come with the sound like a whip lashing. Seven seized the phaser from her hand and opened it up to set the overload.

"Get to the back of the cave," she instructed.

Chakotay followed her orders, still carrying Naomi. He placed her down and they crouched together against the wall. Seven set the phaser in a strategic location. It whined as overload started. She rushed back to them, crouching down on Naomi's other side. Without speaking, Seven and Chakotay leaned in, sheltering the girl as everything exploded around them.


	25. Lessons

**A/N This is the final proper chapter of this story, but there will be an epilogue that I will post tomorrow night. Possibly more than one. Or possibly just a ****_really_**** long one. Thanks so much for following and for the lovely reviews. It's been an absolute pleasure writing this story for you :) I will miss it!**

* * *

Rubble flew outwards from their position and no sooner had the sound of the initial explosion abated then Seven was on her feet, carrying Naomi and rushing for the exit. Chakotay was not even a step behind. They had barely cleared the threshold when the cave collapsed.

Seven turned to look and she sensed Chakotay doing the same. For a moment they stood in silence, the sound of the explosion still ringing in their ears. Naomi was the first to speak.

"My Kadis-Kot board…"

Seven looked at her, eyebrows raised. They had lost all the supplies they'd collected, tools that could assist them, sleeping bags… blankets… even their shelter, and Naomi was worried about a game board? When Seven saw the girl's tear-streaked, pale, face, she decided she probably shouldn't comment.

Naomi acted older than her years. She had only ever had adult friends and her Ktarian genes meant that she grew alarmingly rapidly, but sometimes it was worth remembering that she was, at heart, just a six-year-old child.

"Seven…" Chakotay said, his voice apprehensive.

She looked at him. His eyes were fixed on the sky.

She looked up. The sky was red, streaked with what appeared to be big, black, rainclouds. Seven realised with a sinking feeling that those weren't clouds. It was smoke.

"I think I know what that final quake was," Chakotay said.

Naomi was also looking at the sky now.

"The volcano erupted, didn't it?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. Her arms seemed to tighten around Seven's neck.

"It would appear so," Seven said.

They stood there in a frozen tableaux. Man, woman, child, staring at the sky. All three knowing that all odds were against them, that one of their number had likely already be taken by the forces of nature, that they had nowhere to run and, now, nowhere to hide. Seven could only remember one other time when death had felt this close and this certain. The time when her cortical node had malfunctioned and there appeared to be no way she could survive. Icheb had risked his life and had undergone a great deal of pain to save her.

She put Naomi down and, without a word, broke into a run for the mountain.

She heard Chakotay calling after her, but she ignored him.

If there was even a tiny chance that Icheb had survived, she needed to see if she could help him.

She made it possibly half way up the footpath. Then what she saw made her stop so suddenly she almost lost her balance. Hot magma, slithering down towards her like some red and angry snake, hissing as it passed over what had once been grass. The ground trembled again. She looked up in time to see flame engulfing the sky. Of course she knew the sky wasn't really on fire. It was another eruption, the earth throwing up its insides in a display that – under other circumstances – might be impressive, even beautiful. Shrapnel rained down around her and she put her arms over her head to protect it.

"Seven!" Chakotay was behind her, he seized her by the top of her arm, pulling her back down the path.

She dug her heels into the ground, "Icheb!"

"It's too late!" He said. He swung her around, so she was facing him. "We may have lost him, we're _not _going to lose you too."

She was shaking her head.

"I am Borg," she said, but the assertion didn't carry the confidence it usually did. It sounded almost pleading, even to her own ears.

"You are_ flesh and blood_." Chakotay said. His eyes were hard, fiery in the light from the flaming sky. "Nothing living can stand those conditions. Come! Don't make me carry you!"

He pulled her with impressive strength down the path. With one look back over her shoulder, she went with him. She hated to admit it, but he was right. With the lava, the flying pieces of rock and the smoke, trying to get anywhere on the mountain was futile.

When they reached the end of the path, the air was so thick with smoke that Seven was battling to breathe. The whole world was burning. Through the smoke, they could see someone moving towards them.

"Naomi!" Chakotay barked. "I told you to stay put!"

But even as he said that, Seven realised the figure was too tall to be Naomi.

She broke away from Chakotay, running to meet it.

"We thought you were dead! How did you… how did you…"

She stopped herself short of wrapping Icheb in a hug when she got close enough. There was no time for displays of affection.

"I came around the other side," he said, sounding short of breath.

Chakotay had caught up with them, "There's high ground there out of the way of the magma flow?" he asked without preamble.

"Yes, sir." Icheb answered.

"Alright, we'll head there," said Chakotay. "You two go ahead, I'll go back and get Naomi."

He was pulling away when Icheb stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"No, Commander. We must go to the ruins."

"The ruins? Icheb, the cave has collapsed. We need to get to higher ground. That whole area is going to be under a river of lava in a matter of minutes."

"No it won't be."

Chakotay looked about to challenge that but Seven stepped in. "Explain."

"There's no time!" Icheb said. For emphasis he looked back at the footpath. The tendrils of lava were coming down towards them. "You're going to have to trust me."

"Are you certain?" Seven asked.

"Yes."

"How certain?"

"98.7%" Icheb said, automatically. "98.73," he amended.

"That's not good enough," Chakotay said. "We go for the high ground, that's an order."

Chakotay's personnel file said that he'd been an instructor in advanced tactical training at the Academy before he'd left to join the Maquis. In situations like this, when he made such snap judgements, it was evident. Seven knew his mind was highly trained to work out the best case scenario and to action it as quickly as possible.

But she also knew Icheb.

"Court martial me later," Seven said and she took off, back to the place where they'd left Naomi, at a dash. She could hear Icheb running beside her and Chakotay shouting something else, though she didn't catch what it was.

Naomi was sitting in front of the cave, eyes looking up at the mountain. Seven didn't need to ask why. She could see a thick layer of lava beginning to slide down towards them. Naomi turned when she heard their approach and jumped to her feet.

"Icheb!"

"It is good to see you too," he said, taking her hand. The three of them ran the short distance to the ruins.

"Tricorder!" Icheb insisted.

Chakotay appeared, through the smoke, jogging. He pulled their tricorder out of his pocket and handed it to Icheb.

"I hope you're right," he said.

"Me too, Commander." Icheb said. He scanned the area, then moved forward slowly, taking readings. Suddenly he stopped.

"Here."

They joined him.

"Here?" Seven queried.

"Yes, right here."

They stood where he indicated.

"_Now_ would you care to explain?" Chakotay asked. They were all watching the river of lava, inching towards them. If Icheb was wrong, they were doomed.

"When I put forward my theory about us moving backwards through the planet's history, you raised a few interesting questions. Seven pointed out that we weren't experiencing events in reverse and Naomi brought up that we had not encountered the planet's population, the beings who built these structures. Well, I've been considering answers to those questions and I think I have one."

"Let us hope it is the correct one," Seven commented.

The ground shook again and great plumes of smoke billowed from the volcano. They could see steam rising from the lava now, and ash falling from the sky like delicate snowflakes.

"I believe I am," Icheb said. He smiled. He actually smiled.

Seven's expression must have been one of horror, because he addressed her when he said, "Seven, there is ash falling from the sky. Has any of it landed on me? On you? On the commander or Naomi?"

She looked at them quickly, but was forced to answer, "No."

Icheb's smile broadened, seeing realisation dawning on her face.

"As we have already established, there was an intelligence that put the cave out of phase with time," he said. "Does it not stand to reason that the same intelligence might be responsible for the construction of the obelisk and the rest of this structure?"

"You believe they're likewise protected?" Chakotay asked. "But, why?"

Icheb was still smiling. He turned and looked at the mountain. The rest of them were watching the lava as it crept nearer and nearer.

"It was Naomi's fascination with story-telling that made me realise it," Icheb said. "As I was trying to work my way out of the crater, I started analysing story structure to distract myself from my physical danger. What makes a good story? Among other things, you leave out the boring bits. Isn't that right, Naomi?"

The girl nodded, but her eyes remained focused on the lava that was now almost at their feet.

Icheb continued, "In the construction of a good story, you leave out the boring bits and you focus on the interesting ones. Doesn't that sound like how we've experienced this planet?" He didn't wait for an answer, surging forward with his explanation. "It hasn't been like we're experiencing it in reverse. It's been like we've been flipping backwards through the pages – to use an old earth analogy – and stopping at the interesting parts, then reading forward, then skipping backwards again."

"Like a book?" Chakotay asked. Seven was unable to formulate questions. Their impending doom absorbed her full attention.

"Precisely," Icheb said. "But not just any book. A textbook. A book that includes the pertinent parts of the planet's geological history."

The lava was about a foot away from them when, abruptly, it stopped. It just stopped. And then it flowed around them, leaving a small island of ground where they were standing untouched.

A memory came back to Seven as she watched. When she'd first come out of the cave to find the entire landscape covered in snow, there had been a patch that was not. She recalled simply dismissing it as an area in the shadow of something else and had not paid it any mind. Now she realised she was standing in roughly that very spot.

"I don't believe these ruins are the leftovers of an ancient civilisation," Icheb said. "I believe they are the remnants of a school."

"A… school?" Chakotay repeated. Seven glanced at his face. She could tell from his expression that he was still processing the fact that they hadn't been consumed by lava. She could almost see his mind going back over the events of the last few days.

"A bit of a dangerous school," he commented.

"I don't think it was ever meant to hurt us. If we had understood the technology, and the cave's protection had remained intact, we would have been safe," Icheb said.

"If I had been standing with you when the lightening hit, I would have been unharmed," he continued. "If you had stayed within the cave, and the cave's protection had been functioning properly, you would not have struggled to breathe. If Seven had been here when the jungle grew, it would have posed no harm to her. When you encountered dinosaurs, at the time that you were meant to encounter them, they were harmless. And now, as what is no doubt this planet's first extinction event occurs, we are, for once, in the proper place at the proper time. Seven, you theorised that these ruins once formed part of a tall structure, before sediment built up? I would agree. I believe we are standing atop what was once a grand observation tower."

There was a much worth observing. The lava began to harden, becoming black and solid. A spider-web of red patterned over it as it cracked. The mountain was a black silhouette through the smoke which they should, technically, not be able to breathe. The sky was a marbled pattern, red, orange and black as bursts of fire shot forth from the volcano every few minutes. It had set off a storm in the atmosphere too, lightening now streaked across the sky above them. And then there was the ash, delicate and white, coming to rest on the hardened magma that surrounded them, like a layer of snow.

"So this is the grand finale?" Chakotay breathed.

Icheb inclined his head. "To _this _lesson," he added.

"There are more?" Chakotay turned to him. Seven could see a hint of fear in the way his brow furrowed.

"I believe so," Icheb said. "But we will not experience them."

"Why?" Naomi asked, with a note of panic. Was something going to happen to them?

Icheb looked at Seven when he answered. "I believe that when Seven was studying the artefact, she unknowingly picked us a lesson in geology. You did put the stone you found into one of many holes, did you not?"

She nodded. So she'd been right. It had all been her fault.

"What happens when the lesson is over?" Naomi asked.

"I can't say for certain," Icheb answered, but he was smiling. "Let us watch and see."

Naomi sidled close to him, following his gaze as he turned back to the mountain.

Before their eyes time seemed to speed up, only in reverse. The great volcano became silent and greenery sprung up from the lava. Rain fell – though not on them – and water levels rose, as if the entire area where they were standing was a gigantic bathtub filling. It became evident that they were standing within a kind of a bubble of space as the water flowed around them, and then over them. Naomi's eyes were wide with wonder as they reflected the light from the still-red sky, now distorted and ethereal due to the water. Fish swam around them, rapidly becoming smaller until they were like specks of dust in the primordial ocean, which flickered green as photosynthesis produced algae. Then the mountain sank into the ocean, tectonic action in reverse. What would have taken thousands of years took mere seconds.

The water drained away. In the red sky a storm raged once again. Lightning and thunder and chaos. Terrifying but magnificent from their safe vantage point. And then something else was streaking across the sky. Meteors, bombarding the planet. The most impressive fireworks display had nothing on that. Like thousands of comets, falling down all around them creating bright explosions as they impacted.

Seven felt Chakotay's hand slip into hers.

She looked up at him, startled. He was looking at her and smiling softly. His eyes returned to the skies. She raised her eyebrows, but did not move her hand as she returned her own attention to the spectacle surrounding them.

The ground seemed to liquefy, once again becoming molten. It was as if the lava had returned, but now it stretched as far as the eye could see, glowing red, and then sinking away. And then the very ground seemed to break up beneath their feet. Chunks of the planet flew away from them. Seven found herself gripping Chakotay's hand despite herself.

The stars spread around them. The nebula that Voyager had gone to study formed the focal point of the most amazing scarscape Seven could have imagined. She had always appreciated observing the stars. Their beauty had not simply been a case of aesthetics to her, but of scientific wonder. They were the ultimate example of physics in action. Matter and energy and the forces of the universe combined. But now, with the stars stretching out around her, as their tiny bubble seemed to orbit the system's sun, she was taken by the breathless beauty. Everything was eerily silent. The intense tumult of the planet's birth was a sharp juxtaposition to this. For the first time in what felt like ages conversation would have been possible. But no one spoke.

The sun, which was positioned behind them, started to dim. Seven looked at Chakotay. He had noticed it too. His grip on her hand tightened slightly.

Darkness fell slowly, like the dimming of the lights preceding Tom Paris's cinema experience. Seven was unable to see those next to her, but she knew, by the reassuring feel of Chakotay's hand in hers, that she was not alone. She focused on the other stars around them. Slowly many of those began to blink out too. The nebula disappeared. Seven could imagine a teacher taking this opportunity to summarise all they had experienced and the birth of the universe that preceded it. Darkness creeping in on them, the teacher would explain that at one time the entire universe could have fitted within a grain of sand, possibly thousands of times. The Alpha Quadrant and the Delta Quadrant would essentially be one place. Seven wondered if Chakotay was possibly thinking that too. Darkness fell.

And then there was light

Blinding, staggering, light. Seven dropped Chakotay's hand so that she could cover her eyes. Naomi gave a squeal of surprise. And then she was laughing.

Seven opened her eyes, blinking

They were standing at the ruins. A grassy field stretched out in front of them. In the distance there were trees. Seven spun to look behind her. The cave was still nothing more than a pile of rock. The downside to being locked in time.

"The Flyer?" She asked Chakotay, who was looking at the tricorder.

A smile lit up his face and he nodded. "Right where we left it."

"We should be at the precise moment that you triggered the 'lesson' Seven," Icheb said. He was also smiling broadly.

"I suggest we give Voyager a call," Chakotay said. "But it will take them a few hours to get here."

He turned around, taking a deep breath of the fragrant air. "Anyone up for a game of hoverball while we wait?"


	26. Epilogue

**A/N As promised: Epilogue! As cautioned: Super long epilogue. **

* * *

_First officer's log stardate 54930.1. _

_After returning safely to Voyager, The Doctor prescribed a full day's rest for all of us. Borg included. _

_The captain sent down a team to conduct further studies planet-side. Much of what happened there remains a mystery to us. The words of an old Earth author, Arthur C. Clarke, have been running through my mind: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."_

_I find myself wondering what other lessons we may have experienced. Perhaps one of them held the key to this culture's history, who they are, where they are now. We will probably never find out._

_B'Elanna was all for us beaming the obelisk into one of our cargo bays for further study, but after everything we experienced one thing is clear: this technology is far beyond our understanding. We decided to play it safe and leave well enough alone. _

_I did manage to convince the captain to let me keep one memento though, and I know someone who would definitely like to take another look at it. _

* * *

Seven was feeling more refreshed than she had in days. She'd spent just under 27 hours regenerating, had scrubbed herself clean of even the tiniest trace of mud and had replicated an entirely new biosuit. Her hair was pinned up again, out of the way, she was well-fed, unemotional, safe. If ex-drones could be feeling on top of the world, that's what she was feeling as she exited the cargo bay, engrossed in the latest star chart analysis.

"Ah, Seven! I was just coming to see you."

It took as long as those words took to reach her ears for her elated emotional state to completely dissipate. She stopped in her tracks and turned slowly, cocking an eyebrow.

"Commander," she greeted Chakotay.

She'd known it was coming. She'd almost forgotten in her delight at being back on the ship. But she had expected, as soon as it became clear that they would be returning, that he'd eventually want to address what she'd confessed about the holodeck.

She was surprised to see that he was smiling pleasantly. Her heart rate increased of its own volition.

"I thought The Doctor told you to take time off," he said, indicating the PADD she was carrying.

"I _have_ taken time off. I am now able to return to my duties," she said, without emotion.

The hint that he was currently keeping her from them didn't seem to register. He reached into his pocket and withdrew something.

"We thought it best to leave everything on the planet as it was. But I thought you might like to keep this."

He opened his hand to reveal the "key", the odd stone with the amber-like centre that had somehow triggered their impromptu geology lesson.

"Where did you find it?" she asked as she accepted it.

"I just asked them to run a scan of the area and beam it up. It was still buried at the base of the obelisk."

Seven's brow furrowed, "And you did this for me?"

"Well yes, you did seem rather desperate to get another look at it. Swimming in the mud, digging in the snow… would be a shame for all of that to go to waste."

She was going to explain that she'd been more interested in possibly stopping the rapid environmental changes than retrieving an otherwise unremarkable stone, but when she saw his expression she realised he wasn't being serious.

"Thank you," she said. "Perhaps it will give us further clues about our 'school founders'."

"Hopefully. If not, it's still a good souvenir. You can keep it with that blanket."

She smiled despite herself and ducked her head.

"I wanted to talk to you about another matter," he said.

She looked up sharply. A feeling of dread descending.

He shifted uncomfortably. His eyes darted down the corridor behind her. He took a deep breath. Then they focused on her face again.

"Those holodeck simulations…" he began.

Her heart sank.

"I… I was interested to know… I mean I understand you were just experimenting and it was entirely research-focused but-"

He stopped himself, taking another deep breath. "Believe it or not I used to be quite good at this," he said wryly.

"This?" she inquired.

"Asking girls on dates."

She felt her eyes widen, blood rushing to her face.

Chakotay ploughed ahead, obviously registering her shock. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have asked. I mean you have that emotional fail-safe for one thing and I'm not your hologram, as much as I may look like him. I just thought… well I enjoyed the time we spent together over the last few days - you know, the parts when we weren't facing imminent death... I'd like to spend more time with you..."

His sentence trailed off. He was looking at her, as if waiting for her to say something, or else afraid that he had said too much.

_Words. Sentences. Social lessons._ Why was her mind not functioning? She cleared her throat.

"I would like that," she said, avoiding his eyes. "But I must caution you, I have somewhat limited experience of dating. I am not aware of the required rituals. I would have to do research."

She glanced up at him.

He was nodding. He seemed surprised, as if he hadn't actually expected her to accept. She recalled feeling much the same way after she'd invited the holographic version to dinner.

"Well," he said, "You do the research and let me know what an appropriate first date would be. And when," he indicated her PADD with his eyes, "When you're free."

"Eighteen hundred hours," she said.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Tonight, eighteen hundred hours. If you are available," she said.

He nodded. "Yes. I get off duty at seventeen hundred."

"It's a date then?" she inquired.

"Yes," he said.

"I should go to Engineering," she said, not moving.

He nodded again, completely unaware that he'd hardly stopped nodding for the past five minutes. "I… I'm sure I have work to do."

"I will see you later?" she asked.

"Yes. Later," he said.

She turned and walked away, resisting the urge to look back over her shoulder.

* * *

Naomi was sitting in her room when she heard the door chime.

"Come in."

Icheb stuck his head around the door, "I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

She grinned, shifting over on her bed to give him room to sit beside her, "Actually I was just thinking about you." She patted the place next to her.

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows and took the proffered seat.

Naomi showed him the PADD she was holding. "I've been working on your story. The one about the boy and the wind. I think you _might _have the seeds of something there."

He took the PADD and Naomi watched anxiously as his eyes moved over what she'd written so far. For a few minutes the beeping as he scrolled down was the only sound in the room. Then he looked up, a smile appearing.

"You've taken some creative license I see."

She shifted closer, pointing to the screen, "Well you see I thought it would be more exciting if he lived on a planet that had no wind but did have dinosaurs. And there's this one that's invisible and everyone thinks it's a ghost but –"

Icheb held up a hand to silence her, passing her back the PADD. "Don't spoil it. I'd prefer to read it when it is complete."

She grinned.

"So did you sing to The Doctor? You did say you were going to."

The smile disappeared from Naomi's mouth as she twisted it in distaste. "He spent about half an hour lecturing me about how to improve my vocal range. I think he completely missed the point."

"Maybe he feels you have a future as an opera singer?" Icheb commented.

Naomi stuck out her tongue at the idea.

"Oh, I forgot," Icheb said. "You're going to be a Starfleet Officer."

Naomi looked down at the PADD as she answered carefully, "Actually, I'm not so sure about that anymore."

Icheb leaned a bit closer, which was the Icheb equivalent of putting a hand on her shoulder. "The experiences on the planet were no doubt traumatic, but you shouldn't let that put you off."

Naomi shook her head. "It's not that. I mean it _was_ scary. Seven and I called Neelix when we got back, before she went to regenerate, and I told him about what happened. He said, you know, Starfleet Officers get training for situations like that. I shouldn't feel bad about getting frightened. Seven and Chakotay both said the same thing. They didn't seem upset with me or anything."

"Of course they weren't upset with you," Icheb said. "You performed admirably."

She smiled shyly at him. Then continued, "It's not that I'm scared of being part of Starfleet. It's just that I haven't really known anything else, have I? Maybe I should explore other options, now that I've got the chance."

What she left unsaid was how certain she'd been that there was no possible way they'd make it out of that situation alive. It hadn't been a question of whether they would die, but how. And who would go first. Moments like that made one reflect on what was important. Her dream of joining Starfleet paled against the knowledge that she had known and experienced so little in the six years she'd been alive. Sure, she'd had her fair share of ship-wide emergencies and holographic adventures, but she hadn't really _lived_. She hadn't really discovered who Naomi was yet.

"I want to explore different things." She smiled again, and waved the PADD, "Starting with writing stories."

"You should ask Lieutenant Paris to help you write some holo-novels," Icheb suggested.

"That's a brilliant idea!" She said. "Do you think he'd like the story of the Boy and the Kite and the Dinosaur?"

"The title could use some work," Icheb suggested.

* * *

Seven was standing outside the doors of Holodeck Two looking anxious as Chakotay rounded the corner. She was wearing her burgundy biosuit and Chakotay was struck by the sudden fear that he was overdressed in his black slacks and plain cotton shirt. Seven visibly relaxed when she saw him approaching.

"Did you think I would stand you up?" he inquired.

Her eyes darted down the corridor.

"No," she said, clearly still uncomfortable. "This corridor is frequented by a great many crew members."

He raised his eyebrows, "Ashamed to be seen with me?"

It was a joke but she looked startled at the accusation. "No, Comm – Chakotay. I only meant that I did not wish to entertain their questions."

The crew was prone to gossip and he knew how uncomfortable personal questions made her.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing to the holodeck doors.

She paused with her hand hovering over the controls. Without looking at him she said, "I hope the simulation meets with your approval. I… am not very experienced at this."

She dialed in the open sequence and the doors slid aside.

As they stepped over the threshold, Chakotay found himself in the middle of Central Park in Earth's New York. He would have placed the date somewhere around the early 21st century by the dress of those around them. It was late afternoon and there was a variety of people on the grass, playing various old Earth games like Frisbee and baseball.

Chakotay turned back to Seven to make a comment but one look at her and words failed him. Her outfit had transformed from the biosuit to a dress of a light sea green. He didn't know about fabrics, but this one was light, clinging to her figure and then flaring just below the waist. The dress had a dipped neckline, was sleeveless and came to around her knees. She was wearing opaque tights below that. More striking than the dress was that her implants were gone. She appeared as she would have if she had never had a run-in with the Borg. She was in the process of letting down her hair. At his look she paused, an expression of concern passing over her features.

"Is this suitable attire?" she queried.

He nodded dumbly.

She held her arms out in front of her, examining her handiwork. "My unique physiology makes dressing in anything other than my biosuits a challenge. This way is simpler."

She looked up at him, realising he had not yet said anything.

"Chakotay? Something is troubling you?"

He closed the distance between them. He took her hand – the one that was usually veined with Borg technology – and looked at it carefully. Then he reached up to her face, gently touching the place where her ocular implant had been, just above her left eyebrow. He could feel it there, the holodeck just created the illusion of its absence.

"Computer, reveal Seven's implants," he said.

He heard her breath catch at the command, as her implants appeared again. He pulled away slightly, finding her staring at him. Then she blinked and looked down at her arms. The implant on her right upper arm seemed to cause her the most concern. He tilted her chin up, away from it.

"You look lovely," he said, looking into her eyes. And he meant it. Seeing her in that dress did things to him that would set off her emotional fail-safe. But he wanted to see _her_, implants and all.

Her gaze flickered downward. "Thank you," she said softly.

He stepped away. "So, New York?"

She nodded, gesturing to a pathway near them. He walked towards it and she fell into step beside him.

"I remembered that you enjoyed time outside, in nature. I conducted research into appropriate first dates and I believe I have found something suitable."

"Oh?" he asked, intrigued.

"Shakespeare."

His step faltered. "Shakespeare?"

"You are familiar with his work?" She inquired, raising her eyebrows.

"Vaguely," he said. "He's one of Earth's great playwrights. I didn't know you were a fan."

"I'm not," Seven admitted. "However, The Doctor has been trying to persuade me to broaden my cultural horizons. While browsing through the holodeck database this afternoon, I discovered that Shakespeare's plays were often performed here, as a matter of tradition. Since my research indicated that a trip to the theatre was a suitable first date, and considering your aforementioned penchant for the outdoors, I devised that this would likely be a fitting scenario."

Chakotay wasn't even aware that he was smiling. He found her attention to detail, and consideration, touching.

"Does this meet with your expectations?" She asked him, looking at him appraisingly. They were coming up to the stage now, it was circular and raised. Stands were erected surrounding it so that the audience could observe from a good vantage point.

"Actually," Chakotay said, "I thought you might introduce me to your hologram friend."

Seven's face fell. She coloured, looking away from him quickly.

"I deleted him," she said.

Chakotay immediately regretted saying anything. He could see she was immensely disturbed by the subject. He touched her arm.

She looked up. In the dimming light as evening fell over the park her expression seemed tortured.

"Does it not disturb you?" she asked. "Knowing what I did?"

"Well I don't know _exactly_ what you did…" he said. But, seeing the guilt in her eyes, he decided on a different tack.

He took a deep breath. "I won't lie to you. When you first told me, I was shocked. I mean the idea of someone interacting with something that looks and talks like me and, for all intents and purposes thinks it _is_ me, without my knowing, is kind of..."

He was going to say "disturbing", but didn't want to compound the emotions she was already feeling. He stopped walking, turning to face her fully. "But the more I thought about it, the more I realised, everyone has fantasies. I mean, even The Doctor."

"And we saw how that turned out," Seven said, uncharacteristically looking down at her feet.

"Yes but you're not a hologram."

"But I'm not normal either."

"No you're not."

She looked up sharply.

He stepped closer again, reached up and cupped her face in his hand. "You're different, but that's not always a bad thing. It just means you handle things differently from how others do. You are unique."

He let his hand drop, taking her Borg hand again and looking down at it. "Everyone runs those 'experiments', Seven. It's just usually in the recesses of their own minds, not in the holodeck. I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't flattering to be the object of your fantasy."

He glanced up at her. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips were slightly parted. _What I wouldn't give to kiss those lips… _Chakotay thought. She blinked.

He gestured towards the stage with his head. She nodded. They continued walking, but he kept hold of her hand.

They shuffled into seats front and centre. Seven paid rapt attention to the stage, straightening her spine and folding her hands in her lap. The stands were soon full of people chatting amongst themselves. Seven paid them no heed, her attention remaining completely focused on the stage in front of her. Chakotay took the opportunity to observe her. He felt his heart rate increase as he did so. Her blonde hair, now clean, was falling in soft locks over her bare shoulders and her back, where the dress dipped. Her hair stirred as a temperate breeze blew over them, smelling of freshly cut grass. He also caught the scent of her perfume. Seven of Nine, wearing perfume? It was an unmistakable delicate floral fragrance. Perhaps her research had indicated it would be pleasing. He wouldn't put it past her to research that kind of thing. Or perhaps she always smelled like this? Perhaps he'd just never noticed.

_You have it bad_, he realised. _Try to analyse it all you want, but fact of the matter is, you're crazy about her. The ex-Borg who you, once upon a time, tried to toss out an airlock_.

The lights surrounding them dimmed, plunging the area into near darkness. The city still brightened the horizon. Trees that formed the wings of the stage became silhouetted against the sky. Dark figures weaved in and out of those trees, setting a scene. Then the lights came up and the show began. It became apparent that they would be treated to a performance of _The Taming of the Shrew_.

About half way through the show, Chakotay noticed that Seven was shifting uncomfortably.

"Something the matter?" he asked her.

"It is… disconcerting," she answered.

"The language?"

"No."

The woman next to her turned to them and shushed them.

"Computer, freeze program," Chakotay said.

Seven looked at him, eyes widened in surprise.

"You're not enjoying the play?" Chakotay asked her.

Her eyes darted to the stage where the two main characters were frozen, in the middle of an argument.

"It seems to me that the protagonist of the story does not desire the heroine for any reason other than financial gain," Seven said. "Furthermore, he treats her poorly, intentionally making her uncomfortable in an effort to bend her to his will."

"This play was written a long time ago. In a less enlightened age," Chakotay explained. "Marriage for reasons other than love was not unusual. As for the way he treats her, I agree it's not ideal. But he's holding up a mirror, showing her how her own unconventional actions affect those around her."

"Killing her with kindness?" Seven quoted part of a speech he had just finished giving. Then she frowned deeply, her eyes still focused on the stage. "_I_ am unconventional," she said.

"Seven…"

She turned back to him, "It's true, Commander. The captain has said it on many occasions."

She seemed to realise she'd made a misstep. She looked down at her lap, where her hands were still clasped. "Chakotay, would you… prefer me, if I was more conventional?"

"Of course not!" he said.

"Would you not say that I am likewise 'mad with headstrong humour'?" Again, she quoted the play, eyes fixed on her hands.

"Seven," he reached over, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him in response to the touch. Her eyes, in the half-light, seemed inexorably sad.

He found himself wondering how he had never noticed this before. Perhaps he had been so wrapped up in her outer demeanor – the one that could be pushy and opinionated to the point of insubordination – that he hadn't seen it. Now she suddenly seemed to click into focus. He realised, looking at her here, like this, that everything she did was undercut by a deep sense of inadequacy, of constantly failing to achieve the perfection she set out to. Even the way she explained herself, as if every action had to be backed up by research and study, just in case she was in error, hinted at that underlying self-deprecation.

Like the hiding of her implants, she'd try to project an image over her Borg upbringing with social particulars she'd learnt on Voyager. However, like the implants, all that history was still there, shining through in the words she used, in the way she spoke, in the way others treated her. Chakotay remembered her analogy of the flying machine: _I am that machine. I am merely attempting to become a bird. I will never be a bird, but I may well develop the ability to fly._

He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and said softly, earnestly. "I like you fine just the way you are. Implants and all."

Her eyes dipped downwards again, "I'm uncertain you are in the majority in that regard."

He took both of her hands in his. "You should have seen the trouble B'Elanna had when we first joined Voyager. You want unconventional, that's probably your yard-stick. She broke Carey's nose."

Seven looked stunned, her eyebrows shot up.

"They were vying for the Chief Engineer position," he said by way of explanation.

"Lieutenant Torres has hinted to me that she had difficulty," Seven said. "I believe her words were that if she could adjust, I certainly could." She seemed to contemplate this, then said, in a voice barely above a whisper, "I've been here three years…"

"And you were _raised by the Borg_," Chakotay said. He sighed. Then said, "Computer, set time index for 14h00."

The computer beeped and slowly the light around them brightened. Seven looked surprised.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm assuming you don't want to see the end of the play?"Chakotay asked. When she only blinked, he continued. "Computer, remove spectators and performers."

"You wish to end our date?" Seven asked.

"No no," he put in hurriedly. He stood up, still holding one of her hands, and began leading her back along the stands. "There's more to do in Central Park than watch theatrical performances with outdated ideas. Have you ever heard of roller-skating?"

They hired skates from a man who appraised Seven openly, with ill-concealed lust. Chakotay felt the urge to delete him, but he didn't think Seven had noticed his leering so elected not to draw attention to it. He helped her attach the skates and then get to her feet. She clung on to his arm for support.

"I'm not certain that I find this activity enjoyable," she said.

"Relax, the safeties are on. If you fall, I'm sure the holodeck will provide a soft landing for you."

He tutored her in the basic technique on a flat piece of ground. He had to catch her only once as she lost her balance, then she seemed to get the hang of it.

"It's a strange sensation," she said, still sounding unconvinced about the activity. "I feel… at a loss to control my own movement."

"That's the point," Chakotay explained. He held her hands in his. "The enjoyment comes from letting go."

As he said that, with a wicked grin, he pushed her away from him. She went spinning backwards, her arms flailed, a look of horror passed over her face, and then she got her balance. He came for her again, to push her, but she was too fast, skidding out of the way. He caught her arm and they spun together. He drew her in, looking down at her, his desire for her beating just beneath the surface.

The smirk was the only warning he got before she pushed sharply against his right shoulder, sending him spinning away from her, and then she was off, skating down one of the paths. He took that as a challenge and set off to capture her. They raced across the park, holographic pedestrians diving out of the way just in time as they streaked passed. He caught up with her at an intersection, grabbing her elbow and spinning her around so she was backed against a tree. She was smiling, laughing. Her eyes were sparkling. _Mission accomplished_. He stroked hair away from her face.

"I want to kiss you," he said.

Her expression changed completely, face falling as she stared up at him. She shook her head.

"That is not advisable," she said.

"Because you don't want me to or because of that fail-safe?"

"The latter," she said. He felt his heart soar. She swallowed and seemed to be looking anywhere but at him.

"Perhaps this was a mistake," she said. "I mean dating… when I know I can't…"

He stopped her with a finger over her lips.

"Seven, I just want to spend time with you. No emotions required." _Liar _said a voice at the back of his mind. But she smiled softly. It was the kind of smile that told him what he'd said came as a relief to her. He was glad of that, even if it was far too late to prevent his own emotions getting involved.

"Now, we should probably find something to eat," he said.

They skated side-by-side around the park. Neither of them were familiar with it, so they weren't exactly sure where they might discover somewhere to eat. Chakotay saw there was a zoo, but seeing animals locked up didn't appeal to him. There was also a huge mosaic for a singer who had, apparently, been assassinated. There were hotdog stands, but Chakotay explained he was vegetarian. This seemed to surprise Seven.

"I regret I may have fed your holographic self meat," she said.

He'd had a hearty laugh at that. Especially when she amended the statement by adding that he had, in fact, replicated chicken for them the one night.

"I hope I don't come as a disappointment after him. It sounds like he was quite a catch," Chakotay said as they settled on a bench with ice-cream, the only food they'd been able to find. He was only half joking.

She surprised him by saying, "You've already surpassed him."

He looked at her when she said that, and she turned her face away, pretending to be absorbed in pealing the wrapper off her snow cone. He caught a slight blush touching her cheeks.

As the light began to fade over central park for the second time, he suggested they should probably call it a night.

They skated their way back to the man who'd loaned them the skates. Of course, they didn't have to. But it was a way of drawing out their departure. Chakotay took a final look at Seven in the sea green dress before calling for the exit.

Once outside, she stood with her back to the doors, her hands draped behind her back.

"Thank you, Chakotay." She smiled at the use of his first name. "I had an enjoyable evening."

He turned to face her, looking down at her and trying to commit to memory the happy blush across her cheeks, the soft smile on her lips.

"I did too," he said. "I'd like to do this again. Soon."

"Tomorrow?" she suggested. His heart jumped to his throat.

"I get off at 17h00. Do you have an activity in mind?"

He rested his arm against the doors above her head. His closeness didn't seem to make her uncomfortable. If anything, more colour rose to her cheeks.

"I… I could do some research," she said, her eyes flicking to his arm and then to his face. "Was this in line with what you would expect from a first date?" she asked.

He felt a smile pushing at the corners of his mouth but endeavored to keep a straight face as he said, "Well except for one thing."

She raised her eyebrows, "Please elaborate."

He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well there's this tradition, if a first date has gone well, but I wouldn't want to risk triggering that fail-safe."

Her eyes grew larger as she looked up at him.

* * *

Naomi was marching along the corridor beside Lieutenant Paris, filling him in on the basic story. He seemed amused. She hoped it was at the content of her story and not at the story itself. She'd managed to get him to agree to come with her to the holodeck after his duty shift ended so she could show him what she had in mind for the protagonist. She was looking up at him, trying to analyse his expression, when he stopped.

"Well that's interesting," he said softly.

She followed his line of sight.

Just visible around the corner, outside the doors of Holodeck Two, Seven of Nine and Commander Chakotay where standing together, talking. She was in her biosuit, but her hair was loose. He was out of uniform, in black pants and a white shirt. Seven had her back to the holodeck doors and she was smiling – _smiling_ – up at him. He looked at her long and hard. Then he leaned in and gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

Naomi's jaw dropped open. She glanced at Lieutenant Paris. His eyes were wide and then he grinned. He tilted his head back up the corridor, in the opposite direction of the couple.

"I think we should come meet your protagonist some other time, don't you?" He said, his voice barely a whisper. She nodded.

Naomi stole a final glance over her shoulder as they left. Seven was blushing, but still smiling. Chakotay was gazing down at her, his eyes half-lidded, battling to suppress a grin of his own as evidenced by deep dimples at the corners of his mouth.


End file.
